Letting Go to Grow
About a year and a half ago, I felt a strong conviction to stop drinking.
At the time, I regularly poured myself a small glass of Cabernet after a long day. Feet up, show playing, wine in hand—it was my way of unwinding. But it wasn’t just drinking. Smoking had also become part of my routine.
I leaned into these habits because they gave me what I thought was relief. They offered a temporary escape from stress and life’s burdens. For a moment, I could forget.
But that relief never lasted.
The worries were still there when the moment ended.
I began to feel God speaking to me clearly: stop turning to temporary comforts. They are not the answer. True peace can only be found in Him.
As 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace…” (NLT).
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (NLT).
In my case, the Holy Spirit revealed that I was using alcohol to soothe my spirit. God was showing me that instead of leaning on wine, I needed to lean into prayer and Scripture.
This process was slow.
For a while, I questioned whether I could truly let go of habits that felt normal to me. Our culture often encourages drinking, smoking, and other outlets as ways to cope with stress or enjoy life. But sometimes the things that seem harmless become distractions from spiritual growth.
“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”
— 1 John 2:16 (NLT)
His Way Is Better
When I made the decision to fully trust God, something began to change.
I found myself less drawn to those habits and more open to the heart work He was doing within me.
His way is truly better.
God isn’t just enough to meet our needs—He is more than enough. When we choose to die to self, we begin to discover truths in His Word that transform us from the inside out.
We must stop clinging to the very things that stunt our growth and keep us from deeper intimacy with Him.
Let me be clear—I am far from perfect.
But I have chosen to live a life marked by reverence and love for Christ. The more I choose Him, the less appealing my old desires become.
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
— John 3:30 (NLT)
In John 3, John makes it clear that he is not the Messiah. His role was to prepare the way for Christ (v. 28).
In a similar way, we are called to examine our hearts and surrender anything that hinders our relationship with God. As we grow spiritually, we become better equipped to point others toward Him.
Whether someone has never known Christ or has drifted from their faith, our lives should reflect the goodness of God.
But we cannot effectively do that if we are holding tightly to the distractions of this world.
God may not ask everyone to give up the same things He asked me to.
However, I do believe He will reveal anything that is competing for His place in our hearts.
I encourage you to take a moment and ask God if there are areas of your life that need to be surrendered so you can draw closer to Him.
And when He answers, choose obedience.
Maybe that means spending less time on Netflix and more time in Scripture. Maybe it means ending a relationship that has been pulling your attention away from God.
Whatever He reveals, don’t focus on what you might lose.
Instead, focus on what you stand to gain.
Trust Him enough to let go.
Trust Him enough to do the heart work you originally asked Him for.
Because sometimes what God removes is the very thing standing in the way of what He’s trying to restore.