Letting Go

Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." Luke 14:25-33

Letting go is one of the hardest things human beings can do. We are hardwired to control things, to right the ship, to turn a profit, to hold on to the power given and to tighten the grip on all that we love. Letting go, true letting go, id letting go to the Divine, giving God the power over our lives and living without - control, a map, possessions, anger and hatred. There are so many things that weight us down, that is baggage both physical and emotional. Even when we let them go, we find ourselves picking them up again, the next day, week or year.

Jesus invites us today to follow him by letting go of the things, relationships, control and authority. Learning I can do nothing about the days to come and the people around me is a hard lesson, a walk of a lifetime. Jesus calls us today to not be power hungry as it will be our undoing. He invites us to not be fixers of others, which never works out anyway. God invites us, to settle in and wait upon the Lord, for abundance and love in great measure is promise. As we let go, only then do we truly see the love and great generosity around us.

Today I ask God to help me let go. May we all look within and find those things that have bound us and which keep us from seeing God clearly.

The Collect

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.