Scripture says it’s perfectly fine to have seasons. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So if there’s a season for pumpkin-spice everything, there’s surely a season for tidying up our hearts, too.
Paul had some thoughts on this. On his third missionary journey, he landed in Ephesus, a city famous for idols and pagan practices, and stayed three years to build a church. Later, probably under house arrest in Rome, he wrote the Ephesians a letter to help them grow in their new faith, including some friendly advice on what to drop:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Most of us aren’t brawling in the parking lot. But many of us are swimming in negativity, and some of us, if we’re honest, are the ones stirring the pot. Negativity is a stubborn habit, like that one sweater we keep wearing even though it’s seen better days. Paul gave the Colossians similar counsel: “Rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander” (Colossians 3:8).
Letting go of negativity is a hard habit to break. Here are a few suggestions from a recent article by Rachel Wojo.
- Read God’s Word.
- Let the Spirit show us which heart changes we need.
- Be willing to walk away from bitterness and rage.
- Ask God to help us release the guilt of the past.
And a few of my own:
- Turn off the television and put down the phone.
- Go for a walk outside and let the leaves crunch.
- Sit quietly and do nothing for as long as you can get away with it.
- Read your Bible and pray.
Letting go isn’t just about dropping the bad, either. It makes room for something better. Paul told the Philippians he was “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). And God says, “See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:19). We can’t grab a new thing with both hands full of old things.
For anything we’re still gripping a little too tightly, Peter has the answer: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). You don’t have to hold it all. Hand it over, and enjoy the cooler breeze.
A few years ago, the phrase “Let Go and Let God” was everywhere, and it still preaches. So whether or not your thermometer agrees that fall has arrived, why not let go of the everyday minutiae that crowd out time with God? My friends, my prayer is that you’ll take time to enjoy the season. Let it fall.
A Prayer for Autumn Days
By Joyce Rupp
God of the seasons,
there is a time for everything;
there is a time for dying and a time for rising.
We need courage to enter into
the transformation process.
God of autumn,
the trees are saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.
We, too, have our moments of surrender,
with all their insecurity and risk.
Help us to let go when we need to do so.
God of fallen leaves
lying in colored patterns on the ground,
our lives have their own patterns.
As we see the patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them.
God of misty days and harvest moon nights,
there is always the dimension of mystery
and wonder in our lives.
We always need to recognize your power-filled presence.
May we gain strength from this.
God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,
many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.
We must wait for harvest in faith and hope.
Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.
God of geese going south
for another season, your wisdom enables us
to know what needs to be left behind
and what needs to be carried into the future.
We yearn for insight and vision.
God of flowers
touched with frost and windows wearing white designs,
may your love keep our hearts
from growing cold in the empty seasons.
God of life,
you believe in us, you enrich us,
you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
For all this, we are grateful.
Amen.
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