Let Your Shiny Thing Go!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Philippians 3:7-16

Key Verse:

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. Philippians 3:8-9a (NLT)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a great story of perseverance and love. It’s about a boy named Billy and his two redbone hunting hounds. Billy works and saves to buy two pups, so he will have his own coon hounds. Billy goes to his grandpa for help when it comes time to train his pups; he needs a fresh coon pelt for giving them the scent.

Grandpa tells Billy to drill a hole in a hollow log and put something shiny inside. The size was very specific and important; the hole needed to be barely big enough for a coon to slip his paw inside. Apparently, racoons cannot resist anything shiny.

The trap worked. Why? The trapped coon refused to release the shiny object, and he couldn’t pull free while clutching his shiny prize. All he had to do was let it go!

The principle of letting go to live free doesn’t only apply to freeing oneself from a hollow log trap.

It’s also a great principle for living in the freedom of truth. Why?

Have you ever struggled to forget a hurt?

Or refused to value a person with a differing point of view?

Have your feelings ever controlled your choices?

Has a past sin haunted you, filled you with shame, or consumed your future with fear?

Do you find yourself thinking “if only _______ hadn’t happened” or “if only I could have or do __________”, I would be happy?

Whatever our shiny thing is, we don’t let go because we consider it both valuable and harmless. We hold on tight because we see it through the eyes of our own understanding.

That’s what Jesus was talking about in John 8:32 when He said, “the truth will set you free.”

Jesus isn’t trying to rob our joy. Just the opposite! Look at what He said in the last part of John 10:10, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Jesus wants all of His followers to have rich and satisfying lives!

Don’t confuse what Jesus gives with the riches of this world. A rich and satisfying life is so much more than money, power, or control over our circumstances.

A rich and satisfying life doesn’t mean having no more troubles. Jesus told us in John 16:33 we will have troubles in this world. But Jesus also said to take heart because He has overcome the world.

King Solomon knew the importance of letting go. That’s what he was talking about in Proverbs 3:5, when he wrote, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on our own understanding.”

We can’t trust our understanding AND trust the LORD at the same time.

We must choose!

We each have a question to answer…

Am I going to trust the LORD, or am I going to trust my own understanding?

Choosing to trust the LORD makes it possible to “let go” of our own understanding and live by faith. That’s where we learn more of Him and His faithfulness to us!

The more we know Jesus, the more we delight in Him. The more we delight in Jesus, the more our desires align with His. How do I know this?

In Psalm 37:4, David writes, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Read it again, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” One more time, “He will give you your heart’s desires.” That’s right!

He will give us our desires! Woot! Woot! What we desire will NOT be shiny things that trap us but truth that sets us free!

In case you’re wondering, the coon never let go, Billy’s pa killed the coon, Billy used the coon’s pelt to train his pups, and both pups became great hunting hounds.

Jesus Journaling:

1 What shiny things trap you? What are your reasons for holding onto them, and why do those reasons make it harder for you to let them go? Ask Jesus to show you the truth behind why He wants you to let them go, and what He wants you to have instead.

2 Do you feel like freedom in Christ is for others but beyond your grasp? Talk to Jesus about it, read His word (the Bible), and expect Him to show you how to fully experience the rich and satisfying life He wants you to have.

3 Is there a step of faith you’ve been hesitating to take? If so, what is causing your hesitation? Talk to Jesus about what has you trapped and unable to take that first step of faith.

Warning…There is someone who wants to trap you. He’s the enemy of every Jesus-follower. Be careful! Don’t allow yourself to blame your enemy for your desires (those shiny things that hold you captive). James 1:14 clearly tells us they are “our own desires.” Our enemy uses our desires against us. He sets his traps with our desires. Jesus calls our enemy a thief whose “purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” That’s right! Our enemy wants us to hold on tight to our shiny things; he wants us miserable and stuck in the trap of our own desires and understanding.

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

FYI: There is one truth we must never compromise…Jesus is the only way for us to be saved (John 14:6 & Act 4:12).