The Art of Letting Go

Resting in God is just a matter of being with the Father. Sometimes we are called just to relax and do nothing. Just let go. Rest in Him and let go. We don’t have to have an agenda. - Tim Hansel

I’m told that candidates in Navy SEAL training undergo what’s known as drownproofing, where their hands are bound behind their backs, their feet are tied together, and they are thrown into a nine-foot-deep pool.

Their challenge is to complete a series of exercises that includes bobbing up and down twenty times, floating on their backs for five minutes, swimming to the shallow end and back without touching bottom, and retrieving a swim mask from the bottom of the pool using only their teeth.

Apparently the difference between those who pass and those who fail has a lot to do with their ability to let go.

Those who struggle and try to swim fail. The ones who succeed relax, focus, and let go.

To be specific, those who pass the test allow themselves to fall to the bottom. Then they push themselves up with their feet to get air.

Repeat.

The lesson here is profound.

In many situations in life, our instinct is to fight it, fix it, and seize control. But when life throws you into the deep end, control takes on a whole new meaning.

The Lord is asking us to surrender control, to let go and let Him do His work in us.

What if a relationship is at stake—shouldn’t we fight for it? If we’re facing an illness or an addiction, shouldn’t we fight it with everything we have? If we’ve lost a job or a house or have taken a hit financially, shouldn’t we fight to get back on our feet?

Well, the fighting is done behind the scenes, in the arena of private prayer. But in the visible world, where we go out to face the day, letting go is what’s required.

Surrender is completely counterintuitive. But that’s the nature of life lived God’s way. It runs against our natural instincts. Especially our instinct to fix, take control, push, and make something happen—even if that something is God’s will and what’s best for others.

Reflect on this fact: We become most anxious when we fear losing that which we most value. And that’s exactly where the surrender must take place.

As a long-time “fix-it guy,” I used to be locked and loaded to solve any problem that came my way. Especially when it concerned the people I cared about most. But after years of enduring numerous trials, I learned to let it all go into suspended animation.

There’s a huge difference between silent strength and battle strength, between going in with all guns blazing and keeping quiet with calm confidence.

On the importance of letting go, David R. Hawkins insightfully remarks,

You’ve probably already reached the end of your rope with the mechanism of effort. Perhaps you’ve seen that the more you pull on the rope to hitch yourself up to where you want to be, the more frazzled and frayed it becomes. . . . Are you willing to let go of the rope? 

Getting through your trial in the way that God intends demands that you do that which runs against your natural impulses.

The rope that God has handed you is one you must hang on to for your life. With respect to the Lord and His promises, you never let go of the rope. He’s hanging on to the other end.

However, when it comes to your trial and those involved, you have to let go of the rope in order to survive and thrive.

So surrender. Back off. Relax and allow yourself to fall to the bottom.

Only then will you be able to rise to the top.