Thought of the Day: Reliquished

Letting go is never easy.

I was just watching “Dreamgirls” the other day. What? I was done studying and there was nothing on. I happened to catch it right as it was ending, so the channel just stuck. Their final song was “Hard to Say Goodbye.” It was pretty powerful. I’ll admit it: I teared up. A little bit. Not a lot, okay? There is truth in the song. It helped me realize that the end of something is usually not something looked forward to, especially when its something particularly enjoyed.

Sometimes, as Christians, we horde things for ourselves on earth instead of relinquishing it all to God.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

– Philippians 1:21 NIV

What Paul is saying is that we can only be alive if we give up everything for God. Let’s think about death for a bit. You lie six feet under the ground. Lifeless. Unable to do anything. All of your responsibilities, bills, and obligations are left unfulfilled because, well, you’re dead. It is only when we die to the worry of these things and have faith that God will come through that we can be alive.

Habits are the same way. One of Left on Mayfield’s most poignant songs on their album is “Chained.” It is a song about addictions and struggles a person goes through, and how God can free him from it all. The habit starts as

A simple thought, a thought into action, and simply repeated into a simple habit.
Simply overtaking you and your simple life
And you can’t let go
And you won’t let go

It only takes a small initiative for something to take over.

But, once we die to these things, once we relinquish all its power over us, once we simply let go, we can fully live through God and his will. And, God is able to bless us immeasurably, beyond what we can ask for, think of, and imagine.

More than any sweet addiction.

More than any vice.

More than anything that this world has to offer.

P.S. Looking at it now, I used a lot of their lyrics in this entry. Listen to their songs and see what I did here!