If you are familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, you'll recognize the affirmation “Let Go and Let God” as a popular slogan of the 12-step recovery program. After admitting that you are powerless over your disease then believing in a power “greater than yourself”, Step 3 calls for submitting control to your Higher Power.
But you really don't have to be an alcoholic/addict to know: letting go can be a heck of a lot scarier than hanging on.
“Let Go and Let God” has found it's way into theological circles, as well. It is a well-worn phrase that many Christians toss out to one another like a lifeline. Funny thing about lifelines... you have to swim out and grab hold if you want to be saved.
Life is a battlefield, y'all. Letting Go and Letting God does not relegate us to a seat on the bleachers as a helpless spectator. Though we must relinquish our will to God, He doesn't expect us to be a passive warrior in the battle of spiritual warfare.
So, what does He expect?
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When I was in high school, I dabbled in athletics. I say 'dabbled', because I had zero aspirations of becoming a top athlete. I had the endurance of a slug and I was way more interested in looking cute in my uniform than in pulling a hammie. But to everyone's surprise, Coach Webb put me on the 440 relay team during my junior year. I was – without question - the weakest link, evidenced by the fact that Coach never quite knew where to put me. He moved me from the first leg of the relay because I couldn't seem to figure out how to crouch AND hold a baton AND still look cute. I definitely wasn't a strong enough runner for the the last leg, so Coach ended up bouncing me back and forth between the second and third legs. The problem then was that I had to both RECEIVE and PASS the baton. I wasn't too bad at receiving but I really sucked at passing. I was afraid to let go. I knew if the baton was dropped, my team would be disqualified and it would be my fault. I could never seem to reach the precise moment of faith that my teammate had full control of the baton. It was a serious dilemma that led to a very short relay career.
Ceding control is hard. Passing the baton takes a lot of faith.
Unless you are Jehoshaphat.
Remember King Jehoshaphat in the Old Testament? He was one of the Good Kings whose “heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord”. Because he turned the idol-worshipping Jews back to the Lord, he was blessed with great wealth and honor. Then, one day Jehoshaphat heard that a vast alliance of three armies was marching toward Judah to destroy him. The exact words of warning to Jehoshaphat were, “Dude! There's a HUGE army coming straight for YOU!”. Yikes.
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure my first instinct would be to turn around and run! Call 911! Alert the Space Force!!
Not Jehoshaphat. Although the Bible tells us he was “alarmed”, the first thing Jehoshaphat did was to call for a prayer meeting and nationwide fasting... EVEN WHILE THE ENEMY WAS ON THE WAY!!!
King Jehoshaphat gathered all the people of Judah together and led them in a beautiful prayer. He cried out to God in distress, admitting that they were powerless against the enemy and didn't know what to do. He ended his prayer with these powerful words, “...but OUR EYES ARE ON YOU”.
You know what God did? He said, “Hey y'all … don't let that big ol' army scare you. THIS BATTLE IS MINE."
Essentially, God told the people of Judah to let go of the baton and pass it to Him.
He promised they would not have to fight, but that they should prepare to march against the enemy, take up their positions and stand firm.
Stand firm in FAITH.
The next day, Jehoshaphat met with his people for a pep rally. He got them all pumped up, and then he did the craziest thing ever in all the annals of war strategy: Jehoshaphat moved the choir to the front of the army and told them to praise God with all their might.
I bet there were more than a few twinges of anxiety among the altos and tenors. But once they started singing, their fear dissolved into faith and their collective strength grew in unison with their voices as they praised God in song. Can't you just imagine the beautiful praise growing louder and louder as they marched toward the battlefield of En Gedi? Voices became weapons. Songs of worship became a radical act of warfare.
So much for the element of surprise, huh?
It didn't matter, because when Jehoshaphat and his people came within view of the battlefield, all they could see was a desert full of dead bodies.
God had turned their enemies upon each other and all of them were destroyed. Hundreds upon hundreds of corpses. NO ONE HAD ESCAPED.
War ain't no joke. It's real and it's happening now, all around us... the omnipresent battle of Good vs. Evil. You may not always be aware of it, but it's always there. And on those days when we feel overpowered and outnumbered, when we're not ready for battle and filled with despair at the strength of our enemy, we must never forget... THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD.
Let Go. Admit to God that you are powerless against the enemy.
Then, Let's Go! Get your butt off the bleachers, cast your eyes toward Him in faith and let's join our voices together in mighty weapons of praise and worship... LET'S GO, GOD!
