Let "It" Go!

[Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

Let “It” Go!

“It” is anything or anybody which is coming between you and God. It is that “thing” that is separating you from God. Now is not the time to separate from God. This is the time to draw nigh unto Him so He can draw nigh unto you.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37: “…’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…’” (www.biblegateway.com – NIV).

We must show God we love Him by putting Him first in our lives and letting go of ALL other distractions; anything and anybody who will take our focus off of God.

God said in Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me;” that is the First of the Ten Commandments. Yes, God was talking to the Israelites then but the Ten Commandments are still in effect today. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, He did not come to do away with the Law but to fulfill the Law. So the Ten Commandments are just as powerful today as they were when God gave them to Moses in Exodus 20. Therefore, it is time for us to come back to our first love: God. We must let everything and everybody else go that is interfering with our relationship with God. Listen to what I am saying in the Spirit; if you don’t understand this message, ask the Holy Spirit to let you know exactly what I am saying. I am saying no relationship or anything else should be more important than God. Remember, the enemy will put all kinds of distractions in our path and speak to our minds about things so we will lose our focus of God; don’t allow him to do that. We must weigh everything by the Word and by the Spirit of God. If that thought that is coming to your mind does not line up with the Word of God, it is not God. Roy Kendall taught a message at our church a couple months back and he said, “Every good idea is not a God idea;” we must know when God is speaking and when the devil or the soul is speaking. Let’s forget about doing it our way and do it God’s way; stop putting everything before God.

We must get our priorities straight and stop making our jobs, people, family, children, etc., gods and put God first in our lives.

Another thing that causes us to lose focus on God is “working for God.” We get so busy “working for God,” that it becomes all about the “works” and us doing the “work”, that we forget about God; we begin to do the “works” without God. When this happens, we begin to go in our own strength and end up being burned out; we cannot do anything without God! Let’s return to Him today – our first love!

This is what God said to the Church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:2, 4-5 after they left their first love:

²“I know all the things you do…⁴But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! ⁵ Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches” (www.biblegateway.com – NLT).

We are not fooling and cannot fool God; He knows us. Therefore, He knows the motives of our heart; He made us remember?

My Pastor, Gary L. Greer taught an excellent message last night (Friday) entitled, “Externals.” Everyone needs to hear this message. It is about being careful not to serve God for the wrong motives. We need to serve God because we love Him and want to obey His Word not for what He can do for us. It is a very powerful message which causes me to search myself to see my motives behind serving God. To purchase this message, contact our church at 352-787-8188, Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; our churches web site is: www.glgministries.ning.com.

This is not a message of condemnation but a message of repentance; to come back to your first love which is God and let go of every distractions that is going to keep you away from Him. God loves us so much and He wants to have an intimate relationship with is. So let’s make up in our minds that we will be obedient to God and do as Matthew chapter 6 says: not to build our treasures up here on earth (this things will pass away) but build our treasures up in heaven and do not worry about what we will eat, drink, wear, etc. in essence, how are we going to live. But verse 33 is the key to our survival, this is how we are going to live, we are going to trust God to provide everything we need once we return to Him (our first love) and seek Him first; then, He will provide everything else that we need.

Until we realize God is our only source, we will struggle until Jesus come; trying to obtain things through the flesh and not through the Spirit of God. Let’s stop this madness! Love God for who He is and not for what He can do for us. If you don’t know Him, get to know Him by beginning a relationship with Him today; it is not too late. Repent to God for seeking after everything and everybody else and not seeking after Him. Repent to God for looking for other people and other things to satisfy you instead of allowing God to satisfy you. God loves you and wants the best for you and your family’s life. Give Him a chance to prove that to you today.

I am going to close with Matthew 6:33-34; remind yourself of these verses of Scriptures everyday – put them up somewhere you can see them daily:

³³“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (www.biblegateway.com – NIV).

Shalom!

Dr. Hooks