So often I have felt caught—torn between the sinful, imperfect woman I am and the woman I desperately long to be. The woman I sometimes am, or pretend to be. The woman who Jesus sees, the woman I will one day be.
And I have felt stuck. Unable to move forward, unable to make any real progress in my journey with Jesus. Falling and failing over and over again.
Deep down I know the answer is to let it go. If I want to be free to be the woman God created me to be, I need to let a lot of things go. Things like impossible standards and unrealistic expectations. Guilt, shame, and regret. Misery, negativity. Bitterness and unforgiveness. The illusion that I can control all kinds of things (circumstances and people!) that have never been in my control.
I want to let it go. But how? How do I let it go? What does “letting it go” look like in real life? In my life? And is “letting it go” the end of it—or is there something more?
These are things I’ve been thinking about and praying about a lot lately.
I wouldn’t say I have all the answers. Honestly, I haven’t arrived. But I’ve finally been making some progress. I’ve been learning —sometimes as much from my failures as my successes, by trial and error. Learning from the lives of great men and women of the faith, from wise friends and godly mentors. Learning from Scripture and from Jesus Himself, growing in my love relationship with Him.
That’s what I want to share with you, to encourage your heart—as mine has been encouraged. And maybe save you a few steps on your journey. Help you get unstuck a little faster than I have.
Because the truth is, we don’t have to live in failure, discouragement, and defeat. Thanks to Jesus, we are so much more than our mistakes. We have been forgiven and we have been set free.
And so we have a choice. We can choose to let the past (yesterday or years ago) define us and confine us. Or we can let it refine us.
We can also choose to let it go and leave it behind us.
What choice will you make?
Today is the day!
What Women Should Know About Letting It Go is now available online and in bookstores everywhere! Please join me in praying that this book will find its way into the hands of every woman who desperately needs its message… at heart, the message of the Gospel, God’s amazing grace!
Over on the Letting It Go Book page, you can download a free sample chapter, view some videos, and find tweets and graphics that you can share with friends and family…
And to celebrate the release of What Women Should Know About Letting It Go, we’re having a giveaway!
How to enter:
Instagram / Pinterest or Facebook: Share the launch day image below, along with this description and hashtag:
Because of Jesus, we don’t have to live lives filled with guilt, shame or regret. #LettingItGo by Christin Ditchfield is available to purchase today! https://www.christinditchfield.com/women-know-letting-go/
Or on Twitter: Share this tweet:
Because of Jesus, we don’t have to live lives filled with guilt, shame or regret. #LettingItGo by @AuthorChristin https://www.christinditchfield.com/women-know-letting-go/
After you’ve done so, leave a comment below and tell us where your posted! Please note: if you do not include the hashtag, we may not be able to verify your entry.
This contest is open until April 21, 2015 at midnight EST. (Open to residents of the U.S. only — sorry! Winners will be selected by random and notified by email, having 48 hours to respond before new winners are chosen. Your contact information will not be sold or shared with anyone and is used only to notify you if you are the winner.)
UPDATE:
Thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway! Congratulations to Tonya, Karen S, and Teresa J, who each won a copy of What Women Should Know About Letting It Go, and to our Grand Prize Winner, Layla!!!
If you didn’t win here, head over to Jennifer Dukes Lee’s place, where I’m guest posting this week — she has two copies to give away! More info here: #TellHisStory: How to Make Space for Grace When You Struggle with Spiritual Jealousy
Or check out Georgia Shaffer’s newsletter, where she’s also giving away a copy!
I’ll keep you posted about other opportunities to win. And if you just can’t wait, you can always order a copy here :)
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