I almost titled this blog “Let it Go” just to grab your attention or make your eyes roll, but then I thought better of it.

We humans have a tendency to hold on to things. Not just material possessions, but we are pretty obsessed with those, but with things that have happened to us in the past, or feelings that we have about someone or a situation, or something that a person did to us in the past. Maybe it’s the past that we hold on to so dearly.

I am not very good at holding grudges toward other people. Sometimes I really want to hold a grudge because I am so upset about something, but I just can’t. I am really good however at holding on to grudges against myself. Saying to myself, “Why did you do that? What were you thinking? I can’t believe you did that! Do you really think that was a good idea? You should have said _______ instead!”

In the situation I wrote about last week, I have wished things had gone differently. I have said all of those words to myself over the past week and have blamed myself for my own dilemma.

And that’s exactly what Satan wants.

He wants to tell us lies and make us believe that we are not good enough for the love and mercy of Christ.

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44

He wants to drive a wedge between us and the people that we hold grudges against – even if that person is ourself. He wants it to fester and to grow those little seeds of bitterness and resentment so that he can sit back and watch us drive our own wedge between ourselves and another person, or convince us that we are terrible people.

Our past and the situations Satan throws our way shape us into who we are today. However,  we can choose how they shape us. We can let them dictate who we are and what we are about, or we can choose to rise above all of those things and focus on what really matters – Jesus. And He is the only one who can  bring us up out of that mirey place where we sit in our own filth of grudge holding. (I mean doesn’t the word ‘grudge’ just sound disgusting?!)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28

Jesus calls us to come to him when we are weary and burdened with all of those things we are holding on to. Our past, our grudges, our fears, our worries, and so on and so on. And to take up his way of living (yoke) for the power of forgiveness and letting go of what we are holding on to is strong.

Notice that he is calling us to come to him. He is already there waiting for us, calling us by name and offering a lighter burden than the one we carry on our shoulders.

Letting go of what we’re holding on to is a process. I am still working on letting go of a lot of the grudges that I’ve been holding against myself, and I know that with Christ’s presence in my life that I can truly let it go and leave it at the foot of the cross. What better feet to leave it all at than at the beautiful feet of our Saving One Jesus Christ.

My dear fellow children of God, I leave you now with this promise:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17