Should a Christian “Let go and let God”?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

There are two commonly accepted interpretations of the phrase, “Let go and let God.” The first interpretation is that we should passively allow things to happen without actively pursuing godly living. This view must be rejected because of the biblical evidence supporting that we play an active role in our earthly (2 Thessalonians 3:10) and spiritual (Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 4:11–12; 1 Corinthians 12:7) lives. Philippians 2:12 makes it clear we should pursue a Christ-centered lifestyle in which we are seeking to honor God. We should follow Paul’s advice to Timothy in fighting the good fight of the faith and staying heavenly minded in our daily life (1 Timothy 6:12). We must also put on the full armor of God to protect ourselves against our spiritual enemy (Ephesians 6:10–18).

The second interpretation of “Let go and let God” is that we should let go of our illusions of control, and surrender to God—leaning on Him for strength and power in our daily lives. This interpretation is biblical because of Matthew 6:25–33 where Jesus instructs us to not be anxious about earthly things but to trust in God’s fatherly provision for us.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The answer to this question is specifically addressed in the New Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Even though it is true that God is sovereign and in control of everything, the idea that we should attempt to sit back and watch our life pass by instead of continually seeking the Lord is unbiblical. In Philippians 2:12 we are instructed to "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling." We are to worshipfully respect God, not avoid Him by detaching ourselves from seeking His will.
• Paul commanded Timothy to "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12). We, too, should “fight the good fight,” serving God with our earthly life knowing that we will have eternal life with Jesus.
• We are told in Ephesians 6:10–18 to put on the armor of God and to stand against the schemes of the devil. We have a responsibility to take action against spiritual warfare, not to just sit back and watch things happen.
• When it comes to “letting go” in terms of surrendering our needs, Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all" (Matthew 6:25–32).
• It is wise to let go of our perceived sense of control by seeking “first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). We should not obsess over our needs—we can trust that God will take care of them.
• God gives us specific spiritual gifts that we are to use for His purposes. First Corinthians 12:7 says: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
• We are also created to do the good works that God has prepared beforehand for us. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." God will provide what we need to do what He’s asked us to do.
• We are to actively build up the body of Christ. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11–12 that Jesus "gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."
• At the same time, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Part of God meeting our needs might look like Him giving us the ability to "provide" for ourselves and our loved ones through the mental and physical capacities He has graciously given to us. Although we should exercise these abilities, we must realize that God is the One ultimately meeting our needs—not us.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

There are two interpretations of "Let go and let God." The popular meaning of letting go is to passively sit back and simply allow things to happen. This is typified by the fatalistic "Que sera sera" (Whatever will be, will be). This attitude is not biblical because it essentially says, "There's nothing I can do, so why try?" The second interpretation is that we should stop trying to control our situation or meet our needs by our own strength. Instead, we should surrender our lives to God, trusting in His power and strength. This is biblical but is a very hard thing to do. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to do this without God enabling us to do it. In God's power, we can surrender to Him and thus "Let go and let God." We should not sit idly by and ignore the purpose God has for our lives. We should let go of trying to supply our needs through our own strength.

UNDERSTAND

• Christians should not passively "Let go and let God," avoiding responsibility.
• Letting go and letting God means surrendering control and trusting God’s power and provision.
• Biblically, letting go involves trusting God while also being faithful and acting where He calls us.

REFLECT

• Where in your life do you struggle to surrender control and trust God fully?
• How do you balance trusting God with responding with action where you need to?
• How can you apply the concept of letting go and letting God in a biblical way?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage others to trust in God while not being inactive in faith?
• What does it look like in our lives to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)?
• How can we recognize when we are trying to control a situation instead of surrendering it to God?