1. Let Go of Hurt and Anger

We all experience many situations through out our lives which lead to anger, frustration and pain. The worst thing you could ever do is hold on to it. Regardless of the situation you have to let go. If someone treated you poorly, you have to forgive them. Forgiveness is powerful, not only are you showing mercy to someone who my not really deserve it, you’re freeing yourself from the grip of hatred. If you become a follower of Jesus Christ, then you are commanded to forgive (Mark 11:25). God will forgive you of your sins, showing mercy to someone (you) who doesn’t deserve it. It’s only right that you in turn show the mercy of forgiveness to others. I guarantee if you are losing sleep or joy because of someone who wronged you, forgiving them will set you free from that bitterness.

2. Let Go of Fear and Anxiety

We all fear things in life. As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I’ve feared a lot of things, most of the time for no good reason at all. But fear and anxiety will hold you down and prevent you from doing the things you could be doing. You have to let go of your fears and anxieties and that is easier said than done. The best medicine for letting go of these is trust in Jesus Christ. David wrote such true words in Psalm 27:1:

In Mark 5, when the synagogue leader’s daughter was pronounced dead, Jesus said to the people “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” - Mark 5:36. He raised her from the dead and He can do anything! Trust Him and let Him guide you and be your strength when you have not enough of your own. Read His words in Matthew 6:25-34, they’ve helped me so much in gaining better control over my anxiety disorder and I know they have the power to help anyone who truly listens.

3. Let Go of Addictions

When things get rough in life, it’s very easy to turn to things like alcohol, drugs, sex, materialism, and so on. But I can tell you that none of those will ever give you peace and joy in your life. Any happiness you may find in those things is very short-lived and meaningless. Drinking your days away will only result in a life wasted, spent lost in a bottle, seeking a joy that will not ever be found in that bottle. The same goes will all other addictions, true joy will never be found in them. From age 14 to 37 I was addicted to pornography, lust controlled my thoughts all day, every day. When I gave my life to Jesus at 37, He broke the chains and I no longer have an addiction to pornography, He gave me the strength to let it go. Now you have to let go of whatever you’re addicted to and I know that is hard, many times, like in my case, it’s impossible on your own. But nothing is impossible with Jesus, He will break the chains of addiction if you invite Him into your heart. He came, died on the cross for all sin and was risen again in order to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), so let Him find you and break those chains.

4. Let Go of Your Sinful Lifestyle

We love to please ourselves and the desires of our hearts. Unfortunately most of the desires we have are sinful. It can be a lifestyle of lust and sex, a lifestyle of violence and hate, a lifestyle of lies and deceit, a lifestyle of selfishness and greed, or a lifestyle of homosexuality and gender confusion. We look for a fullness of joy in the wrong places and let sin creep in and take over our lives until it controls our every action. But joy will not be found in sinful lifestyles, you’ll never feel truly whole. We let this world tell us what’s right and what’s wrong. But who determines right and wrong? If we determine right and wrong then you’ll have people who think pedophilia is right or people who think racism is right. That’s why God gave us His Word (the Bible), so we can know what is right and what is wrong. If you let go of your sin and turn to Jesus, He loves you so much that He will set you free from your sins and the empty promises of these worldly and misguided lifestyles. In John 8:32, Jesus said if you follow Him then: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

5. Let Go of Your Pride

Our society loves pride, it feeds on pride. From constant selfies on social media to people using the law to try and force others to think like they do, regardless of how twisted and wrong it might be. We love to find ways to make ourselves look and feel better than everyone else. Who wants to admit when they are wrong? It’s hard to do so, so much so that we’ll go to great lengths to attempt to justify our actions even when we know we are wrong. To find peace and joy in your life, you must let go of your pride. Pride will only set you up to be knocked down, hard. The ultimate sin is pride, it will prevent you from finding salvation in Jesus Christ if you can’t admit you’re a sinner in need of a savior. Let it go and grab on to Jesus — humbling yourself at the foot of the cross of Christ will change your life forever.

6. Let Go of Your Life

If you want the ultimate freedom, a peaceful mind, and never-ending joy, then let go of your life. Stop trying to control every aspect, stop living for yourself first. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, trust alone in Him to guide you. I mean truly trust Him, read His word and pray for His daily guidance. You’ve got to set your focus on Him each and every day. There is absolutely no greater way to live than to live for Jesus first. In Hebrews 13:5, Jesus tells us that if we love Him instead of the things of this world, then He will never forsake or abandon us. Nothing else in this world can deliver on that promise, period. In Matthew 16:24-27, Jesus tells us exactly what it means to give up your life for life in Him. Through Him we can have a life that is abundant and eternal (John 10:9-10) — a life grounded in a joy which is rooted in Jesus Christ. His joy will never fade even when you go through the hardest times of your life, His joy and promise will always get you through if you’ve let go of your life and have given it to Him.

Grab On to Jesus

Let go of these six things and give it all to Jesus Christ. He will give you a life worth living — full of hope, healing of your soul, forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and everlasting life and joy. And if you do, don’t ever let Him go!