“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:… a time to keep and a time to throw away.” Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 (NIV)
Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like to throw things away? My husband is exactly that kind of person. He is so sentimental that he has a closet full of T-shirts and sweatshirts that no longer fit. But he can’t bear to throw them away because each one evokes a memory: a tie-dye shirt his boys made for him in 6th grade, his pool team shirt, his dad’s old football sweatshirt, etc. We should keep. Yet many of us hold onto things that should have been left behind long ago. It is true, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:… a time to keep and a time to throw away” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7, NIV).
We should hold fast to God’s love, peace, forgiveness, and hope. These gifts anchor our hearts and comfort our souls. These unearned gifts never fade, break, or fail, and provide lasting joy and peace. They help us hold on to our faith when times are tough. These gifts also empower us to minister to others and give love, peace, and hope to a broken world.
Additionally, we should keep God’s word in our hearts to shield us from the enemy’s lies and temptation and guide our steps. Holding God’s Word close to our hearts also allows for personal growth and fosters a closer relationship with God by renewing our minds and anchoring our hearts.
But friend, there are definitely things we should throw away:
- Lies that whisper we are not enough
- Shame that convinces us to hide parts of our story out of fear of judgment or rejection
- Regret that chains us to the past
We were never meant to carry these things for a lifetime. The enemy uses these burdens to keep us stuck, replaying old failures and making us believe they define us.
Yet God’s truth declares something different. In Christ, we are forgiven, redeemed, and made new. We don’t need to keep revisiting what God has already covered with His grace. Holding onto these things only weighs down our hearts and keeps us from walking in the freedom Jesus died to give us.
There is also a time for us to let go of the pain of the past. Memories may remain, but their grip on our hearts does not have to. God gently invites us to lay down the hurt, the disappointment, and the wounds we have carried for far too long. When we surrender these to Him, He begins to heal what feels broken and restore what feels lost.
Letting go is not about pretending it didn’t happen. It’s about trusting God enough to believe He can redeem it. As we release these burdens, we make room for God’s peace, truth, and healing to take root in our hearts.
Here are a few practical steps to surrender or release these things to God and throw them away for good.
Name it honestly before God.
You cannot release what you don’t acknowledge. Ask God to search your heart and reveal anything you’ve been holding on to without realizing. David gives a great model of this when he prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).
If you are questioning the word “offensive” in David’s prayer, let me gently remind you that believing and holding onto lies that go against God’s truth is offensive to God and your own heart.
Next, pray and bring the lies, shame, regret, or pain into the light. Name them specifically. God already knows. But there is something powerful about us agreeing with Him in honesty. As you agree with Him, you will begin to break the hold these things have on your heart.
Replace it with God’s truth.
Once you release the lie, fill that space with truth. Search the Bible for what God says about who you are and what you have through Jesus. Then choose to believe it, even if your feelings lag behind.
Paul explains it like this: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).
You can demolish the enemy’s lies and renew your mind by replacing them with God’s truth.
Surrender it daily.
Letting go is often not a one-time moment but a daily choice. When those thoughts or feelings resurface, you can consciously hand them back to God as many times as needed.
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word states, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:… a time to keep and a time to throw away” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7, NIV). Please give me wisdom and discernment about what I should keep and what I should throw away. Help me hold onto your love, peace, and presence in my daily life. Help me keep your Word in my heart and let it guide me. But most importantly, help me to let go of the things that no longer serve me, things like pain, shame, and the enemy’s lies. Finally, Lord, help me remember to be patient and gentle with myself as I surrender these things to you daily. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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