Joel Osteen (October-09-2023) Daily Devotional: Let It Go.
Today's Scripture: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37, NIV
Today's Word: we all go through disappointments, things that are not fair. It’s easy to hold on to the hurts, to think about the negative things people have said to us, to relive the offense. We get up in the morning, and it’s the first thing that comes to mind. We don’t realize how much that’s affecting us. It’s souring our attitude, draining our energy, and limiting our creativity. If you’re going to fulfill your destiny, you have to get good at letting things go.
In Luke 17:1, Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” (NKJV). He didn’t say they might come. He didn’t say that if you’re a good person and you’re nice all the time, nobody will do you wrong. He says that disappointments will come. Betrayals will come. Things that are not fair will come. How you deal with these offenses, how you handle the hurts, will determine whether you move forward and see the new things God has in store or whether you get stuck, bitter over what didn’t work out.
I’ve heard it said that if you don’t heal from emotional wounds, you will bleed on people who had nothing to do with them. How many people are living wounded over how they were raised, a friend who walked away, or a business partner who cheated them? Instead of letting it go, they replay it over and over in their mind, reliving all the hurt. Then they wonder why they don’t have good relationships. It’s because they haven’t healed. They’re living out of a wounded place.
God brings a new person into their life, somebody great, but they’re so insecure. They don’t feel valuable or attractive. This new person has to go overboard to make sure they know how great they are. The problem is that it’s not sustainable. Until you get well, you can’t develop healthy relationships. Until you stop carrying the hurt, you’ll burden other people with it. Until you let go of what didn’t work out, that wound is going to hinder you wherever you go.
If you’re still wounded over a position you lost unfairly in one company, you’ll go to a new company being defensive, on edge, and not friendly. You’ll treat your new boss and coworkers based on what you’ve been through, but they had nothing to do with it. It’s much more freeing when you learn to let things go. It wasn’t fair. God will be your vindicator. He’ll take care of who did you wrong. It’s not your job to pay people back.
They hurt you once; don’t let them continue to hurt you by holding on to it. You lost a loved one, which I know is painful, and it’s healthy to go through a season of mourning, but you can’t hold on to the hurt. Living in mourning is going to keep new doors from opening. You have to heal so you can see new relationships and new opportunities.
Reflection: Past hurts, old wounds, recent betrayals, fresh disappointments . . . Your pain may be recent or years in the past, but learning to let it go will change your life today for the better. What do you need to let go of today?
What dreams do you have that are being hindered by bitterness or unforgiveness? How much more could you accomplish if you started letting things go? Reflect on this and write about it.
Declaration: Today, I declare that old hurts and wounds no longer have a hold on me. I will forgive everyone who has wronged me and let go of every offense. I will forgive myself, and I will be free. I declare that, like He did with David, God will restore everything that has been taken from me. I declare that my Heavenly Father is in control and will bring breakthroughs in ways I could never have imagined.
Prayer: Dear God, I come to You today with an open heart. I understand that when I bury negative emotions deep inside, they never truly go away. I can’t hold on to anger, hurt, or betrayal and expect them not to affect me. Help me to forgive those who have hurt me, no matter how deeply. Help me to forgive, just as You have forgiven me. I know now that forgiving is not just for their sake but for my own well-being. Thank You that You make all things new and that I can experience the freedom, joy, and victory You have planned for me. I ask for Your strength and guidance to release these negative emotions and step into a new level of happiness and triumph. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
