So, you are free! You are rescued, on the path to wholeness, fill
ed with anticipation and joy over where God is leading you. Yet there are still things that God is asking you to let go, as well as things that He’s asking you to hold onto — like Him, like truth, like freedom.
Today I am excited to introduce my friend, Christin Ditchfield. She just wrote a new book called What Women Should Know About Letting Go. She’s sharing 7 tips on how you can hold on to your freedom. She’s also graciously offered to give away one copy of her new book.
ed with anticipation and joy over where God is leading you. Yet there are still things that God is asking you to let go, as well as things that He’s asking you to hold onto — like Him, like truth, like freedom.7 Tips to Hold on to your freedom
Christin Ditchfield
Jesus said if we believe in Him and continue in Him, if we’re faithful to His Word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.
Then later He said, “I AM the Truth.”
Though I’ve never been good at math, even I can grasp this equation:
Know Jesus = know Truth = know freedom.
Galatians 5:1 tells us, “Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free . . .”
Learning to stay free, to walk free, to live free… that’s a process, a journey.
Here are seven things that help you do that!
Remember who you are.
Who God made you to be. The things that make you uniquely, individually, authentically you. Your personality and temperament, your special skills and spiritual gifts and natural talents, your background and experiences, your strengths and weaknesses.
Focus on becoming the best version of you that you can be – at this time, in this season of your life.
Identify your true priorities.
What has God called you to do right now? What are your most important relationships? Responsibilities? Ministries? Tasks or projects? What are the things you genuinely must do? Need to do? Want to do? What are the things that only you can do? Which ones are the most meaningful, rewarding, and fulfilling to you?
Everything you put on your plate leaves less room for something else. So choose wisely.
Learn to set healthier, more reasonable, achievable goals.
Learn how to break down those goals into smaller goals – smaller steps that are practical and doable.
Resist all-or-nothing thinking.
Just because you can’t do everything you want to do or planned to do – just because you can’t do it perfectly – doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it at all.
Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something.
On my fridge, I have a magnet that reads: “When it comes to exercise, something is better than nothing, and more is better than less.” That’s true about a lot of things in life!
Celebrate your failures as well as your successes.
Think of them as learning experiences. Opportunities to gain valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t work for you, as well as areas where you need to grow and improve. Everyone makes mistakes – it’s how we respond to our mistakes that makes the difference.
Watch how you talk to yourself and about yourself.
It’s one thing to be honest about your shortcomings, to humbly confess your sins. It’s another thing to criticize yourself, berate yourself, belittle yourself, or call yourself names. Jesus doesn’t do that to you, and neither should you.
Follow the example of the psalmist. (Psalm 42:5, 62:5, 103:2) Replace your negative self-talk with words of truth and grace, hope and faith.
Remember Whose You Are.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious and irritable, go through your to do list, and ask yourself these questions: Why am I doing this? Who am I trying to please? What am I trying to prove?
Remember that as you step out onto the stage of life, you are performing for an Audience of One. Your Abba Father. He is the One who created you, loved you, called you, chose you. He is the One who has a plan and a purpose for you – and it’s only His plan and purpose that counts.
It’s only His opinion of you that counts. It’s only His approval that truly matters.
How are you holding on to your freedom, with His help?
Which of these did the Holy Spirit whisper, “This is for you?”
On Friday, we’ll choose one of you (from the comments) to win a copy of Christin’s new book, What Women Should Know About Letting Go.
Thank you for standing up for freedom! I love your honesty. You just about finish my sentences. You speak my language. I am praising God that He answers my deepest need! God bless you.
Gosh they all speak to me, but celebrate failures as well as success is something I would have never thought, and I should remember who I belong to when speaking to myself WOW that one hit me between the eyes so to speak. Wow, and completely right!!! I will mediate on this one for sure. I could see how this would help me speak kinder to love one’s as well and I”‘ve been praying about this VERY THING God is so gracious and loving.
Amen! I love where your thoughts went… to how this could help us see others differently — and speak to them with more kindness and compassion. They’re struggling with many of the same things we are…
Going through a very difficult time where my best friend refuses to talk to me. Your To Do list helps me refocus get my mind back on Him and know who I am in Christ and pursue His will and desire for my life. Maybe our friendship was just for a season….however the season should not have ended without an explanation…I hope today I will walk in a little more freedom thanks to this.
The pain of a broken relationship — a lost friendship — is so very hard to let go of… So sorry. Praying for you today, Karen, for an extra measure of God’s grace, peace, healing, and freedom!
I look forward to being reminded of God’s truth every day. As an empty nester, I am once again looking to find my purpose, trying to remind myself that I am enough because God loves me. As we get older, we need to remember that God has a plan and purpose for us. We still have value and it is only His opinion that counts in our life.
Absolutely! In the longer version of these tips, one of the things I mention is “season of life” — what season are you in? And how has that changed things for you, in terms of your priorities, your responsibilities, your opportunities for ministry? Corrie Ten Boom’s thirty year ministry (as an internationally known author, speaker, and evangelist) only began when she was in her fifties… after World War II turned her very ordinary life upside down. We have no idea what’s ahead or how God might use us, if we’re willing and available to Him!
So very nice to be reminded of these truths. During a divorce, there are some things to hold on to and many things to let go of. I am still managing, after 4 years of this struggle, the balance of doing both and modeling for our girls how to do so. Thank you for your book and sharing your words of wisdom
Thanks, Tracy! Blessings to you…
Today’s devotion spoke to me. I’ve realized that I am allowing everyone else to dictate my life, and I need to find out what God has called me to do. There is one thing I’m feeling led to try but I’ve been afraid to jump in and start it! I can’t seem to find the time, but then I can’t figure out where all my time went. So Identifying my true priorities is a good place to start. Thank you for helping me to think about that!
Why am I doing this? Who am I trying to please? What am I trying to prove? I need to repeat this in my head several times a day . And it is so true that his approval is all that matter : )
Yes! I find I need to ask these questions even about good things I’ve chosen to do… I need to remind myself that I WANT to do these things (and why — because I believe God’s called me to) when I start grumbling or complaining or treating them like an obligation. I don’t HAVE to do xyz — I GET to! 🙂
Watch how you talk to and about yourself speaks to me. I have such a hard time letting go. Looks like a very good book for me to read
The one that spoke the most to me is “Remember Whose You Are.” Even when things get crazy and completely fall apart, I can remember Who I belong to and that He’s not going anywhere. There’s a reason for everything in my life, but I can trust that He’s got it all under control and doesn’t need me getting in the way trying to help.
For me, the most important is to remember whose I am, and what He has promised me. I am His precious child. loved beyond measure. He is good, He is always with me, and He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. He is so very fond of us!
Blessings,
Kamea
God is the only true ONE that I need to please. I try to please so many people with sooooo many things, it gets exhausting. Help me Lord, to remember that you are the ONLY ONE.
I am performing for an audience of One… so many times in ministry we are compelled to believe that we are performing for others, but this is not the case. Thank you for another wonderful devotion Suzie, looking forward to this book.
I like these tips, but wonder about the explanation on the first one, “Focus on becoming the best version of you that you can be – at this time, in this season of your life.” The idea of “becoming” can be a call to work hard – to be the best version of ourselves, which may lead to perfectionism and one step away from legalism. I believe more freedom is involved when we focus on just “being” who we are – who God has made us to be, without striving constantly to “become” more.
That’s an important point, Rebecca, and one I talk about in much more detail in the book… it’s actually the reason I wrote it, to share my own struggles in this area and what I’ve learned about how to be obedient and faithful and put into practice the Scriptures that say “make every effort,” without it turning into striving and trying to earn God’s love and approval. How to just “be” without being complacent, “be still” and yet “live a life worthy of our calling.” It’s a challenge, for sure… but I think — by God’s grace — we can learn to let go of perfectionism, legalism, impossible standards and unrealistic expectations — and at the same time learn to press in and press on and “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me!” Thanks again for bringing this up…
I really need this book!
I definitely need to work on “watching how I talk to myself about myself”. I can have such unrealistic standards for others, but mostly for myself. Asking Him to help me with this right now.:)
Remember who you are – thanks for letting him speak through you today!
Thank you, Patti… so glad you stopped by!
A nice reminder of what our focus needs to be when living our lives. I can get bogged down fast in my nursing, taking care of others, that I forget how important it is to take care of my self as well. When I feel the need to escape it all is when I realize I need my time of healing. I need to set time out each day and each week for spiritual peace and be careful of my self neg talk.
Excellent article. Thanks so much for sharing!
I really like all that Christin shared here, and I definitely want to experience freedom in so many areas of my life! I’d love to read and learn from this book! Thank you so much for doing this great giveaway!
Watch how you talk to yourself and about yourself! Such a key point, many times I talk myself out of things that I know that I should do…or tell myself lies that convince me to not move forward. I have always known that I can be my own worst enemy in my relationship with the Lord. Thank you for sharing this! I found you on the rah rah linkup 🙂
Christin, what a beautiful book and post her for Suzie. I definitely felt the Holy Spirit whisper “#2 is for you”: Identify your true priorities. Something I’ve been hearing for a while now.
Thank you! Love it when God confirms and reconfirms what He’s speaking to our hearts through our interaction with each other!
This caught me right away . I have been struggleing to be free , free in Jesus my Savior . To be free to be who God created me to be . My cousin prayed for me a while back and it has stuck with me . That I could be free to be the ” Annie God created me to be ” free from all the things that have kept me in bondage from my childhood , thinkng I had to preform to be accepted , legalism , and so on . I just want to be secure in Jesus , be a godly wife , mother , and grandmother . To love and serve the Lord Jesus .
Thank you for your honesty , that is one of the things that drew me to Proverbs 31 is how real all of the ladies are that share . I have a file over loaded with the daily devotionals . Thank you for following God’s leading in this ministry .
Thank you , in Christ , Annie
“Season” the season you are right now. I love that wording! Makes a lot of difference ..what season we are in and how our lives change from season to season! Great ideas! Thank you for shareing.
All or nothing thinking. Thats me 100 percent. I’ve always been of the mentality of do it right or dont do it at all. And always give it your all or dont even try. This works well in many facets of life. Unfortunately it’s not in every area. We can help people by making a donation of food or dropping off a meal to a mom who just had a child. For me i want to do so much more and because time and finances dont allow it i do nothing. This isn’t God’s intent or vision for us. The same applies in social circles and jobs. Theres good and bad.