Letting Go: Don’t Take This With You Into 2024!

Last week I felt the instinct to purge.

After several days of looking at extra clothes in my closet, some still with the tags 😳, one too many blankets stuffed in the ottoman, and drawers with cosmetics that hadn’t been used, I realized that, well, it was time to let these things go.

In and of themselves, these items weren’t bad. But the question I had to ask myself was: were they necessary?

Even though I wanted to hold onto them, I realized that not only weren’t they necessary but they were taking up unnecessary space in my house.

As I write this, in less than 24 hours by God’s grace we will be venturing into a brand new year. This is a time when many of us reflect on the year past as we look ahead with fresh eyes and renewed hope to new beginnings, and prayerfully the realization of new dreams.

As you prepare to move forward into 2024, I have one request. Just as I took inventory of the physical things in my home that I no longer needed, I encourage you to take a holistic inventory of all the things we need to leave behind in 2023.

• Things that have greatly hindered our spiritual growth.
• Unhealthy habits we need to put off so we can replace them with new ones. 
• Idols we’ve built in our hearts.
• Thought patterns that don’t align with God’s words.
• Relationships that no longer sharpen us or cause us to compromise our values.

I can admit there are a few things I certainly need to get rid of. 🗑️

How about you?

As I reflect further I was reminded of a verse in Joshua chapter 7:

You cannot stand [victorious] before your enemies until you remove the things under the ban from among you. 
Joshua 7:13B AMP

You see, unfortunately, a few of the sons of Israel kept and hid some of the items that God specifically told them to destroy (Joshua 7:1). And now their disobedience caused God’s anger to come against the camp and was preventing the entire army from moving forward and defeating their enemies. Sheesh!

Have you ever felt like you have been stuck in a battle, unsure of why you can’t move forward?  Perhaps it’s because we, like the sons of Israel, have things in our midst that God has specifically called us to get rid of.

Friend, whatever God reveals to you to let go of, please don’t take it with you into the new year.

Let’s walk into 2024 free of anything that will keep us from walking in the purpose God has for our lives. Amen?

Happy New Year!

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 
Psalm 65:11 NIV