KCU/04/Optimists
Topic 23: Any place for let go & let God?
Question: In light of the discussion in ch. 18 of How People Grow, do you think there’s a place for being completely passive, letting go & letting God, in the Christian life? (Be sure to do more research into the issue. If the group cannot come to a consensus, feel free to have different group members each express their own opinions.)
Many people believe that to let go and let God is to completely just give it all to God and walk away and ignore the problem. God is not going to take it and fix it without some effort from you. God wants to know that you trust Him but at the same time He wants to know that you are also willing on your part. To let go and let God is really to come to the conclusion that you can’t do it solely on your own and you are ready to accept help from God and let go of your pride that you don’t need anyone or anything. I think if people could just realize that, then we wouldn’t have so many relationships fall apart or people feeling like there is no hope with whatever they are struggling with, big or small.
The book How People Grow, states what the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth, for an example in the story about a married couple named Rich and Stephanie. They were very devoted Christians when they started out, but after twenty five years they started to develop some problems with their marriage. Stephanie was a control freak and Rich had a sexual addiction. Their marriage was growing further and further apart and their three children were the only thing that was holding them together. Eventually the kids weren’t enough for Stephanie to stay in the marriage so they separated. They had started to lose their affection for each other and their spiritual connection with God. They decided to go to marriage counseling, hoping that it would help them where their spiritual life had not. For awhile they were trying to change each other and fix their problems on their own. When their counselor suggested to let go of trying to change each other and let God work in their lives they were hesitant. They didn’t know where God was in this big mess they had gotten themselves in. They were in this mess because they stopped listening to God in the first place. When they let God back in and trusted him to help them through all this their marriage slowly started to come back together. They didn’t just give up and sit there and wait for God to suddenly say ok your marriage is fixed go home. They finally realized that they needed to ask God to help them with their issues individually and then together. They still had to put forth their own effort. Rich and Stephanie’s story is a great example of how let go and let God is a two way thing. God wants to help you but you have to ask him and want to help yourself.
In the book How People Grow, the author states that there is a danger in preaching the work of the Holy Spirit in people's lives. Most people want to bail out of their responsibility and "let go and let god." For example, I (Ashley) had a really good friend my 6th grade year. She was my best friend. She was over my house all the time, and she even stayed over on weeknights. Her house wasn't very safe for her, she often came over in tears because of what she had seen. Her father was an alcoholic and he would beat her mother. Sometimes he beat her mother in front of her. She was always praying to God that he would just go away or miraculously get better. She made me promise not to tell anyone. She would always talk about how she couldn't believe God would let this happen, and why wouldn't God just make him stop. Finally one night after her father had come home drunk, I talked her into calling the police. Her father went to jail that night. Once he realized what he was doing to his family, he slowly started to sober up. I believe that God wasn't letting anything happen, he was trying to talk to her heart and get her to reach out for help. This is a great example, because she blamed God for not helping her and not fixing her dad's problem. Once she realized she had to help God help her, everything fit together. Just letting go and letting God is using your faith.
Some religious theories on this belief, letting go and letting god, have similarties and differences, especially when it comes to sanctification. Sanctifiacation is known as an act of God which he eliminates sin in a saints life. The main religion view is connected to faith in God, but some views on sanctification are contrastive as well. The Keswick theology states that we as people get complete victory over sin, if we just surrender to Jesus. Although they believe they have to surrender their hearts to Jesus, they also realize that they can't just wait around for Jesus to take it. They spend time with God through their 'powerful preaching' and their reflection time. They realize that they have to work to get to "absolute surrender." People have to take the step themselves and atually let God be in control, God always help as long as we just ask. This can be a form of letting go and letting God. American Fundamentalism shares the deep roots of the Keswick Theory. Even though Keswick beliefs are connected with God's love just like the Wesleyan point of view, Wesleyan's theory appear unalike. Wesleyan is known as "theology of love"; God's love. Wesleyan Theory believes that we are never without sin and that God's love just covers our sin, however Keswick Theory believes we can reach to perfectionism as long as we ask God to get rid of our sin. Wesleyan Theory is based on the belief that we as people are never free from sin unless we live obedience to God's will and that faith doesn't exsist without love and obedience. On the other hand Keswick theory is basen on the belief that someone's obedient heart is filled with the holy spirit and you have to trust in God to the full. "While the Wesleyan teaching emphasized a sanctification that issued forth in love to God and neighbor, the higher life form emphasizes victory over sin." (Higherlife)
Even though these views on religion or so called theories seem to view santification different, they still seem to view faith the same. In life people need faith to get by and this faith consists of letting go and letting god in control. Our faith for God helps to take our sin away and to help us get rid of sin that we continue to be tempted to do, as long as we repent and work with God to better ourselves. For example I (Holly) had an addiction of smoking in the eigth and ninth grade and once I became a christian I knew I had to get rid of this addiction. At first it was hard because the devil kept tempting me with cigarettes, the smoke in places made my mind want to smoke even though I knew it was wrong. Finally I had to put my faith in God and with patience I quit my smoking addiction. All it takes is one belief, that God can help you take the steps to overcome. These steps consists of patience, knowing that it takes time to let go and let God. The Holy Spirit is what brought upon us to help us as long as we let it. For Galatians 6:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, and self control."
Discipline also plays a part in letting go and letting God. Some people think that praying at night once a week or only when they are having a hard time is going to change their life. God isn't going to miraculously make every prayer a priority. Kind of like a parent, if their child sees a commercial on t.v. and wants a certain barbie doll or video game, the parent isn't going to pay attention if the child only asks for it one time. Hebrews 12:7-8 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."
Faith is a trust or belief that does not require proof, therefore why can't we have faith and be in the place of letting go and letting God? We can do this but the word also tells us that we need to take our own step of faith and let God actually help us get over the problem/situation. In Exodus chapter fourteen Moses shows us how to use our faith. He shows that we shouldn't be afraid and that we should just let God be in control of the situation. When the Israelites were trapped and couldn't get away from Pharaoh's army, they were afraid because they were trapped at the Red Sea. This is when Moses put his trust in God and told his people to not be afraid for God is with them. This is when God gave Moses the ability to part the Red Sea. Just like Moses and the Israelites, if we take a step out of our comfort zone and put our trust in God that he will take over the problem/situation, and everything will turn out fine.
Our group believes that to let go and let God is to not just sit back and do nothing but to give and take a little. You need to let God have control but you also need to put forth effort too. For example, I (Chelsie) was anorexic when I was in middle school. I knew that I couldn’t help myself because if I could I never would have gotten that way in the first place. I didn’t want help from my parents and I didn’t want to go to a doctor because I hated people telling I had a problem even though I knew they were right. So my only other option was to turn to God. I couldn’t just say ok God here it is now do something about it. I had to put God in control but had to put forth some effort on my part. It took some time but with God in control everything was ok. So whatever your going through big or small just let God have control and put in a little effort yourself and you will find that you can get through it.
What it all comes down to is just having faith in God and in yourself. Some people believe that God doesn't help us when we pray. Since we can't hear what he has to say or actually see what he does, they lose their faith. In letting go and letting God, you have to realize that the unanswered prayers are what get us through. God helps us in unseen, unimaginable ways. But you have to want to help yourself in order to grow spiritually. You just can't bail out and drop everything, while expecting God to take care of your life and make everything work out. You have to work with God to better your life. In conclusion, letting go and letting God is what we do everyday. If you pray and talk to God, while keeping faith and trusting that God will steer you in the right direction, you're letting go and letting God.
Resources Critique of the Higher life <http://www.frontlinemin.org/higherlife.asp>