Just about everyone has played tug of war. Teams would be decided, a line drawn, and then the tugging war would ensue. Everyone was supposed to do their dead-level best to pull and NOT LET GO of the rope, until the "enemy" was pulled past the point of no return. Even though your feet would slide across the ground, you would NOT LET GO of that rope!!! You would get as close as you could to "crossing the line," but not let go!! In this childhood game, this was the way it was supposed to be. But, as a Christian, or CHILD of God, this is a BIG "NO NO"!!! There are times we have got to LET IT GO!!
First, we need to FORGIVE. Despite the childhood rhyme,words DO hurt people! Hurt leads to anger and bitterness. Bitterness in the life of a Christian stagnates our spiritual life and fellowship with the Lord. "...lest any root of BITTERNESS springing up trouble you and thereby MANY be defiled." Hebrews 12:15b. WE need to forgive those that hurt us, whether lost people or saved people. Has not Christ forgiven us? "Let ALL bitterness and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind, one to another, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING one another, even as God for CHRIST'S SAKE hath forgiven you." Eph. 8:31 & 32. Let go of the pull of hurt, anger and bitterness!
Secondly, let go of remembering and DWELLING on everything that has ever been done against you, or that YOU have done wrong!!!_FORGETTA BOUT IT!! FORGET past and PRESENT wrongs! Yes, this is easier said than done, but "...with God ALL things are possible." Mark 10:27. We HAVE to seek the Lord for help with this. "Thou wilt keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose mind is STAYED on Thee, because he TRUSTETH in Thee." Isaiah 26:3. Did not the Lord FORGET our sins??? Colossians 2:14 "BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of they way, nailing it to HIS cross." The Lord forgave us, forgot about our sins, nailing it to the cross, or considered it paid for and wiped out!!! That should make us shout this morning!!! Why should we expect the Lord to do this for us, and then we can't for others and ourself??? Paul said in Philippians 3:13 & 14, " Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (arrived), but this one thing I do, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, and reaching forth to those things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus." Satan has no greater weapon against the brethren, than to keep discord in the church, so that it WILL HINDER the growth of the church and most of all SALVATION OF SOULS!!!
Lastly, let go and move FORWARD!! If we keep our minds in the past, we can NOT move forward. Can you drive a car forward, while looking backward in the rear view mirror CONSTANTLY?? No! You will run off course, or cause a wreck!!! We will do the same SPIRITUALLY if we keep looking back! We will lose sight of the goal and hurt ourselves and others!!! As the verse above said, "reaching FORTH to those things BEFORE, I press TOWARD THE MARK!" Who has called us to go forward? Jesus Himself with His 'high calling.' There is a work we need to do for the Lord, that cannot be fulfilled without going forward!!! "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, REDEEMING THE TIME, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:15. The Lord left us here to get the Gospel to a lost world. May the Lord help us to let go of the past and go forward and, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without , redeeming the time." Col. 4:5. "Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."
Let it all go!!! No, I don't think I know it all or are more spiritual than you, friend! I just know what the Lord has told me in my OWN LIFE this last year! If He helped me with this, I KNOW HE WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU!! Quit playing spiritual tug of war!! Let go and forgive, forget and go forward. Jesus is coming soon!!!!!
