Rising Above: The Freedom of Letting Go
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows."
— 2 Corinthians 12:2 (BSB)
There is something uniquely liberating about losing oneself—not in the sense of despair, but in surrendering the weight of self-focus to the Lord. The heaviness of self-consciousness can feel like trudging through a dense forest, every step tangled in vines of worry, suffering, and personal struggle. Yet, when we stop focusing inward and lift our gaze upward, we find ourselves standing in a clearing, light pouring down and the way forward made clear.
A.B. Simpson reminds us in Days of Heaven that freedom comes not from solving every struggle but from entrusting ourselves completely to God. Turning our attention outward—praying for others, focusing on His will—has a way of carrying us above the very burdens that weighed us down.
This shift is like the mighty Nile, which deposits fertile soil as it floods. What seems like an overwhelming overflow leaves behind rich ground for growth and blessing. In the same way, when we release ourselves fully to God, He transforms the overflow of our trust into fertile soil—nourishing not only our own hearts but also the lives of those we lift up in prayer.
The Freedom of Entrusting Ourselves to Him
Paul’s vision of the “third heaven” speaks to a freedom and intimacy with God that only comes through release. It’s not achieved by grasping but by letting go, by allowing God to carry us to places we cannot reach on our own.
When we pray with confidence for others, when we cast our cares on Him without rehearsing our own pain, we begin to live in that freedom. This isn’t about ignoring our struggles but about entrusting them to a God who has already provided all we need in Christ.
A Prayer of Trust
Father,
Thank You for lifting us above the weight of self-focus and into the freedom of Your care. We rejoice in the fertile ground You leave behind as we entrust our lives to You. May our prayers reflect Your sufficiency, always confident that You have given us all we need for life and godliness. We trust You to carry us, as You work in and through us to love and bless others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Final Thought
The path to freedom is not found in endless striving but in releasing ourselves into the hands of a loving God. Like a flood that leaves rich soil behind, surrender to Him transforms our burdens into blessings that nourish not only us but also those around us.
(Insights from A.B. Simpson’s Days of Heaven.)