It’s been a long while since I have sat down to write. This Substack is entitled “A Pastor’s Life” so today I want to talk a little bit about my life and “letting things go”. How many of you have heard the phrase: “Let go and let God”? Maybe some of you have used that phrase in counsel to others. I know that my dear wife has hammered this truth home to me for a while now. As a believer in Christ and the sovereignty of God I should be able to just let go and let God. The problem for me is that I doubt the promises of God or His goodness towards me. I hold on to hurt and the need for apologies. I worry about the “what if” scenarios and play them out in my head. I’m sure some of you can relate, maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’re there now? I have good days and bad days. I can be going great and then hurt from years ago can come barging back into my thoughts. It is a continual confessing and asking for healing process for me. Some of you are strong and can walk away or ignore without remorse or feeling guilty about it. Some of you can “let go and let God” and I envy that.
I have read Philippians 4:6-7 a billion times in my life, I’ve used it to help and encourage others but I rarely take it for my own counsel. So today I am simply asking for prayer for myself - that I will trust in God’s promises and believe His goodness.
We all struggle, that doesn’t make us weak, it makes us real. I think we as men, pastors, we are terrified to really talk about our struggles because of what others will think. We have to stop that and be real.
Thanks for reading, and have a blessed day,
Scott
If it helps, I don't think 'Let go and let God.' is such great advice. It is no fun to obsess about our problems and failures but I am just not convinced that it is necessarily a sign of weak faith or sin or anything like that. We all do it sometimes and some of us do it more than others, but I am not convinced that doing it less is a sign of some kind of greater spirituality, although it is certainly nice to do it less.
I guess what I am trying to say is, 'Don't beat yourself up. Give yourself a little grace.' People are different and God loves and uses people that aren't the way that they want to be or others want them to be. Uses people like us powerfully. His strength is made perfect in and through our weakness.