Session 12

What do you need to let go of?

From Genesis: A 7-Week Devotional

You have something great — a relationship, friendship, or position at work. If God told you to give that up, would you? It wouldn’t be easy, but what if God only wanted you to give that up to give you something greater?

God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:10: “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

Abraham might not have wanted to give up his comfort to carry out his part of the covenant. But, God tells Abraham in Genesis 17:2,  “...I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

God didn’t make this covenant with Abraham to hold him back or take something away, but to place Abraham in a position to be blessed. Giving things up isn’t always easy, but it makes room for the blessings God wants to give us.

Maybe God wants you to let go of that relationship to bless you with a better one. Maybe He wants you to give up that great position at work to jump start something new. God never wants us to give something up to hurt us, but only to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11).

When God tells us to give something up, let’s not look at it as a loss but as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to listen to Jesus, to grow, and to open our hands for Him to bless us.

Reflect:

• When was the last time God told you to let go of something? What was it?
• Have you done it yet?
• If not, what is one step you can take today to let go of it?

If you want to talk to someone about something God has told you to let go of—an addiction, relationship, or struggle—you can do that here.