Faith… Is Letting Go

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I want to share three stories with you that illustrate the gift of faith. Each one shows us that faith is fundamentally about letting go.

The Little Girl at the Pool

Picture a little girl clinging nervously to the edge of a swimming pool. Behind her is security—the solid pool edge she grips with white knuckles. Underneath her legs, all she can feel is empty, watery space. The water is choppy, waves splash her face, and she is filled with fear.

In front of her, just a metre or two away, stands her dad. He’s smiling, beckoning, encouraging her to let go and paddle across. If she reached out with one hand, she could almost touch him without letting go of the edge. Almost.

She glances back at the pool’s edge—solid, certain, familiar. Then she looks at her father’s open arms.

“Don’t worry, darling,” he says gently. “You won’t sink. I’m here. I’ll catch you. I’ve got you!”

She’s still filled with fear, yet somehow it’s done. She trusts, pushes out from the edge, and before she knows it, she’s swept up into her father’s arms.

The Young Mother at the Hospital

Here’s a second story. A young mother lies on a hospital gurney. Behind her stands her husband, holding her hand tightly. Her little children are there too, trying to be brave.

In front of her are the operating theatre doors, with nursing staff gowned and ready. They attach a drip to her arm, and she is filled with fear.

It’s all happened so quickly—just a little blurred vision, a couple of dizzy spells, then the visit to her doctor, the tests, and the devastating news: a tumour, aggressive, requiring immediate surgery.

It seems safer not to go under the anaesthetic, not to face the surgeon’s knife. But behind her, her husband whispers words of love and encouragement. Her children smile through their tears. Then the surgeon leans over, pulling his mask aside so she can see his reassuring expression.

Somehow, it’s done. She lets go of her husband’s hand, tells her children she loves them, and grips the doctor’s hand as they push through the theatre doors.

Faith is letting go.

Abraham’s Example

Did you notice? In both stories there’s a letting go of what’s familiar and a setting out into the unknown. What makes this possible? It’s faith—trust.

Hebrews 11:8 tells us: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.”

Abraham ‘let go’. For someone in ancient times, leaving one’s place of origin meant letting go of identity itself—giving up one’s very self. Yet Abraham did it by faith. He trusted God.

But was his faith perfect? Did it come without doubts? Not if you look at the biblical account. It reveals Abraham as a man often full of fear, sometimes making terrible decisions, even sinning agains  t God. But it wasn’t Abraham’s ability to keep God’s laws that justified him. It was God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness—God’s gift of faith—that kept bringing this old sinner back onto the path of trust.

Scripture tells us that “the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Abraham was right with God because God gave him the ability to trust and let go.

What Are You Clinging To?

What about you? What are you holding onto today? What are you not prepared to let go of?

Perhaps it’s material security—money, possessions, that retirement fund you see as your guarantee against future hardship. Maybe it’s your career, the path you’ve mapped out for yourself. Could it be a relationship you’re clinging to in an unhealthy way? Or what other people think of you?

Whatever it is—even if it’s one of God’s good gifts to you—if you must have it at any cost, if you’re looking to it for your security and placing your faith in it, then you’re turning it into a false god. You’re breaking the First Commandment.

Underneath this struggle with idolatry that we all face lies the original sin we’re all born with—that self-centred inclination to be right with God on our own terms. We don’t want to trust by faith alone. We want to contribute something ourselves, to trust in our own achievements, our respectability, our ability to get it right.

But Christianity isn’t like that. It’s not a self-improvement program or a moral code that qualifies us for heaven. God calls us to let go of all such attempts to justify ourselves.

How Faith Comes

But how can we let go of our refusal to let go? Remember how I described those first two stories? I said “somehow” the little girl trusted her dad, “somehow” the young mother trusted her surgeon. That “somehow” points to the mystery and gift of faith.

Romans 10:17 tells us: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

This is stunningly good news!

Faith is the gift of God that God wants to deliver to you – and does – through His Word. His story of redemption, His promise of your rescue in Jesus. Faith comes through hearing the gospel message!

So, here’s that message again – for you: despite your sin, yes, even despite your inability to ‘let go’ completely, God is reaching out to you. He has promised to never to leave you or forsake you. (Heb 13:5)

And, in Jesus, God has proven Himself to you. Jesus is the evidence that God is with you, that God is love, and that God’s got you!

In Jesus, God has grasped hold of you!

Jesus perfect Faith

Our faith is not in our own faith—it is in Jesus, His person, and His work for us. Only Jesus had perfect faith. When they hurled insults at Him, He didn’t retaliate. When He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By His wounds, we are healed. (1 Peter 2:23 and 24)

Jesus let go in perfect trust—and He did it for us. Now He gives us the benefits of His perfect faith.

Faith in the Midst of Doubt

Remember, Abraham wasn’t saved by the quality of his faith but by the quality of the One he trusted. This means that faith can exist right alongside fear. It can be present even in the midst of doubt.

One of my favourite passages is Mark chapter 9, where a man comes to Jesus pleading for his son’s healing: “I do believe,” he cries, “help me overcome my unbelief!” That’s faith—not a feeling of certainty, but trust despite uncertainty.

Faith is often mysterious, sometimes difficult. It’s not about having all doubts removed, but about keeping your focus on God, and knowing that ‘He’s got you!’ even when everything is  uncertain.

The Burning Building

Let me close with a third story. Picture a young man crouching at the edge of an office window. Behind him, flames roar and the building begins to collapse. In front of him is a five-storey drop to the street below.

He can barely see through the thick smoke, but for just a moment, he catches a glimpse of a fireman’s helmet and uniform below. Then the smoke closes in again.

Through the chaos, a confident voice calls up: “Jump! I’m just below you!”

Fear floods him. “I can’t see you!” he shouts back.

“I know you can’t see me,” comes the steady reply, “but I can see you. Jump! I’ve got you!”

Somehow, it’s done, he finds himself strongly gripped by the Fireman.

God’s Invitation

Dear friends, each day is a new opportunity to jump into God’s arms! His invitation, his mercy to you, is new every morning.

Remember this, even with your doubts churning within, even with your fears—He sees you. His loving gaze is directed toward you.

Remember your baptism, where God took you into His arms and washed you with His promises. Your baptism is a baptism into Christ Jesus himself, into his death and his resurrection (Romans 6). Your baptism is God’s promise to you for life. In those waters God has grasped hold of you!

Trust this in the midst of all doubt, fear, and anxiety. Remember His perfect sacrifice for you. Be comforted by His promise to never leave or forsake you.

You can let go. You can trust. He’s got you!

Amen.