A mini-lesson in "letting go of self"

Country singer John Anderson has a beautiful song entitled, “Let Go of the Stone.”  It’s lyrics go like this:

You shouldn't wade out in deep water When you don't know how to swim
He told you it was over and like a fool you followed him
Into a whirlpool of emotion a pinning out of control
It's killing you, but you won't let him go

REFRAIN:

Let go of the stone If you don't want to drown
In the sea of heartache that's draggin' you down
It's pulling you under and you keep hangin' on
If I'm ever gonna save you Let go of the stone

Oh don't you realize the danger and the hurt you're headed for
Put your arms around me And swim with me to shore
Just let go of that ol' mem'ry, I know it's hard to do
But I'll be here Holdin' on to you

REFRAIN:

Let go of the stone If you don't want to drown
In the sea of heartache that's draggin' you down
It's pulling you under and you keep hangin' on
If I'm ever gonna save you Let go of the stone

“Let go of the stone.”  Wow!  An easy concept that is hard to follow sometimes…

For those of you who know me, it should be no great surprise that the moment I heard those lyrics, they immediately reminded me of YAHWEH and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua.

Since the day ADONAI ELOHIM created humans, He has been reaching out to His people (which includes ALL who believe in Him and recognize that Yeshua shed his own precious blood on our behalf); giving them chance after chance to come ever closer, and thus gain a true relationship with Him.  The entire Torah (first five Books of the Bible) is replete with His efforts to get us to understand who He is and what He expects of those who are His…

Yet, most simply don’t heed.  Many wish to cling to their baggage as if it were a pet; feeding and nurturing it because they cannot recognize that “letting go” would bring freedom … freedom from hurt, anger, rejection, pride issues, and all manner of negative emotions that have either destroyed their relationships or caused them to remain “stuck in a rut” with no hope for the future – and which can and may eventually make them physically ill, or even kill them.

We humans do tend to “hold onto our baggage”; in large part, because it is familiar.  To let go might bring discomfort in some way, or serve to make us “feel empty” somehow, as it (the baggage) eventually becomes a part of us. To chuck it means we would lose a part of “who we are.”

And so what do we do?  We make excuses designed to reassure us that we CAN’T let go!  And, since we CAN’T let go, that means we get keep that “stone hanging around our neck” – Halleluyah!  It must be God’s will for me…

They don’t realize that HE is NOT “the stone” that’s pulling them under!  His entire Torah is proof that “things will go well for you IF you …” do things according to HIS Divine Instructions.

Unfortunately, humans are complicated creatures who tend to cater to their own emotions.  It’s simply easier to tell ourselves that the problems of life are “God’s will” or someone else’s fault.  “My parents didn’t love me; they taught me to hate!”  “Nobody wants to hire me because I’m not beautiful/handsome or never went to college.”  “I drink and/or do drugs because I can’t win; my life is constantly going nowhere!”

If our particular baggage/stone is “ego”, narcissism or general “self-importance” then our excuses might look something like this:  “God doesn’t love me, or else He would have done this or given me that …” “I never get hired for the great positions because I’m over-qualified/too smart/overly-educated/better looking than the boss’s spouse; they don’t really want somebody who knows how to get things done and is able to work without supervision; or the interviewer simply recognized that I’m smarter than he/she was”…

BOTTOM LINE:  Excuses of all kinds are like stones:  They WILL bring you down and pull you under.  NOTHING will change unless and until you actually humble yourself enough to just sit quietly and tell God you are “broken” and in need of HIS help and advice!  Don’t tell God what you want, or what He ought to do for you.  Just be quiet!  Say nothing except “God, I need You.  Please show me what am I doing wrong!”

The following passage is a wonderful example of the kinds of people ADONAI expects us to emulate:

Luke 18: ⁹ Also, to some who were relying on their own righteousness and looking down on everyone else, he (Yeshua) told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Parush (Pharisee) and the other a tax-collector. ¹¹ The Parush stood and prayed to himself, ‘O God! I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, immoral, or like this tax-collector! ¹² I fast twice a week, I pay tithes on my entire income, . . . ’

¹³ But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God! Have mercy on me, sinner that I am!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his home right with God rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” (CJB)

Friends, this is a great lesson in holiness! Every once in a while, we must stop in our tracks to ask ourselves: 

“Who am I, really? Am I full of self-importance or ego? Do I ever remind myself that I can do nothing of my own? Do I ever ask for forgiveness for something I might have said or done that was displeasing to ADONAI? Do I truly WANT to change any “bad” habits that might reside within my soul?

“What is holding me back from succeeding in life? Abba, WHO AM I? Am I pleasing you? If not, please convict me and teach me … cause me to become a true reflection of YOU! I pray this in the Mighty Name of Yeshua haMashiyach, Your Divine Messiah! Amein!”

So, in closing, if this article has touched you in some way, and you truly know you need, and wish to make a change in your life, please consider “letting go of the stone.” ADONAI can’t and won’t do anything with you until you’re humble enough to do so.  He’s waiting just for you…