Let Go Of The Things That Make You Poor

Length: 10 Minutes

God is not asking us for any payment for the things He’s given, but when things hinder our knowledge of Jesus, those are things we should certainly let go of — not as if we’re offering it to God, but for our own sake. Trust me, when you give something up to know Jesus more, you’re not making a sacrifice. You’re letting go of the things that make you poor, for a Wisdom that wants to make you rich.

There are so many cares in this life that can serve as distractions from our knowledge of Jesus. It doesn’t even have to be sin. It could just be earthly. It could be unprofitable relationships, things on our agenda, certain career goals, or any earthly thing. Even if there’s nothing wrong with it, in and of itself, when things start hindering our knowledge of Jesus, it’s time to change it or let it go, so that we’re not held back from entering God’s fullness!

I’m not talking about making a sacrifice for God and Him rewarding you for your good deed. Unfortunately, most Christians believe that they can give something as a show of trust, and He will open the windows of Heaven to reward them for it. That’s the Old Testament and not what I’m talking about. In the New Testament, Jesus already offered one sacrifice to pay the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 5:1-5). There’s nothing more we owe the Father. There is no return He wants from us. Jesus has paid the Father in full for everything we receive. We’re square. We don’t receive from God because of what we give to Him, but because of what Jesus, our High Priest, gave to God for us.

I’m talking about letting go of things in life that are hindering us or slowing us down, to more fully pursue the things God has for us! You’re not giving to God. You’re giving it up for your own knowledge sake.

Of course, I’m not saying we should leave true responsibilities to the side, but there may be certain distractions that we have convinced ourselves we can’t change, even though it’s in our power to change it. If we are willing to make those adjustments, in order to see what God is showing us, it will be like pruning a plant. You’re not pruning it to take away from the plant, but to make it more fruitful (John 15:2 ASV, Ephesians 5:26). 

It’s worth it, to give something up that’s making you poor, for something that can make you rich. Look at what “wisdom” says in Proverbs 8. Wisdom is personified here as a woman and is a symbol of Jesus. I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but here’s a bit of what she says:

Proverbs 8:10-11 (NKJV) Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

Verse 19) My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.

Proverbs says that we should choose wisdom rather than silver and choice gold. Notice the words “rather than.” This is saying that when you’re faced with a choice between wisdom and some other earthly thing, choose wisdom rather than the alternative. Now, why would we choose to seek wisdom? Because what it produces is better than anything you could desire elsewhere. In fact, it says that nothing you desire could even compare to it. Not even close. 

The fruit that Wisdom produces in your life is better than gold, even fine gold. It is long youthful life and health to your body, it’s order instead of chaos, it’s clarity of mind instead of confusion, it is resurrection for those that have died, empowerment to physical wealth, a wiping away of all your tears, a perfect peace and happiness, and deliverance from all the trouble in this world, no exceptions. In short, it’s perfection. 

What could you possibly desire to hold onto, if it were to the detriment of this wisdom? Nothing you desire could ever compare with her. She’s the answer. She’s what you’ve been looking for, even if you didn’t know it. Anything you could give up to receive this wisdom, wouldn’t be regrettable, it would be despised in comparison.

When God calls you to let go of things or relationships in your life that are hindering your pursuit of Him, He is not trying to take value away from you. God is asking you to let go of what’s in your hand, because it’s keeping you poor, in exchange for something that will make you incredibly rich.

I’m not saying that this applies to everything in your life. I’m not telling you to be rash or insensitive. But I am telling you to be honest with yourself. Sometimes we try to convince ourselves that something isn’t a risk to the knowledge of Jesus, but if it has that potential, why would we ever want to keep it the way it is?

Maybe you hold onto it for a while. Maybe you keep it in your back pocket, but why would you want to do that? God’s not asking you to change it because “life is about sacrifice.” No, Jesus was about sacrifice. God wants to make you manifestly rich. God is trying to bring His fullness out of you. If we’re only focused on the earthly thing in front of us, we may not be seeing that right now, but those are His only intentions toward you.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Jesus suffered utter poverty, being in love with you, so that you could be made rich! When the God who wants to make you rich asks you to leave something behind, it’s not for the sake of sacrifice, but for the sake of enhancement and enrichment (1 Timothy 6:17).

Let go of unprofitable relationships that can hinder your progress. Let go of the noise in life that drowns out the voice of God. Let go of the things in your schedule that you once deemed important, but are slowing you down. The funny thing is, when you let earthly things go for the sake of knowing the gospel, you’ll find that the things you let go, God adds to you later in far better fashion! You simply can’t lose!

Mark 10:29-30 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions [because people won’t like you for it]—and in the age to come, eternal life.

This is not about God rewarding you a hundredfold for a good deed. This is about you letting go of earthly things to pursue the gospel, and yet gaining more through the gospel than you ever could previously. 

By the way, Jesus is not talking about leaving your family or your spouse behind, but when you pursue the gospel, people may leave you. If that happens, but you continue in the truth, the gospel will far overcompensate you! Either, those people and possessions will come around and be restored to you or God will restore better relationships and possessions in their place. Whatever worldly things you give up, the gospel will restore a hundredfold, and in the age to come, an eternal world!

The point is, there’s nothing that you can give up for the sake of pursuing the gospel that you will ever regret. When you pursue the truth of Jesus with all your heart, He’ll bring out all his spiritual blessings from the inside of you, and add all physical things to you as well! It’s not a sacrifice. It’s an investment in knowing the One who wants to enrich you.

In 2 Chronicles 1:7-12, Solomon was faced with a decision as to what he would seek —  silver, gold, and physical things, or wisdom. God told Solomon to ask of Him whatever he wanted. Rather than Solomon asking for riches, honor, or the lives of his enemies, Solomon just asked for wisdom. Good choice! It’s revenue is better than any earthly thing! But when Solomon asked for wisdom, not only did he get all the blessings and life that goes along with it, but God also added all physical things to him as well! So much so, that there was no king who had more riches, wealth, and honor, before or after him. When you put an extreme priority on wisdom, you step into extreme fruit.

In a sense, Solomon let everything else go in his mind. He placed the priority on wisdom, seeing it as his answer. And when Solomon saw the value of wisdom, that it was worth letting everything else go, he received the value of that wisdom in his life!

If you give up relationships for the sake of knowing Jesus, God will add truly beautiful relationships to you later, which will profit you and not distract you. If you (responsibly) give up certain career choices that would hinder your discipleship, God will add honor, position, and great wealth, more than what you gave up. If you let go of the noise of life or things in your schedule to see Jesus, wisdom will always overcompensate you.

When you see the value that God wants to add to your life, the things that you thought were gain, start seeming like loss, if it hinders your knowledge of Jesus. You just don’t wish to tolerate it anymore. If it hinders your pursuit of wisdom, enough is enough, because nothing you could ever desire compares with this.

Philippians 3:7-8 (NKJV) But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

This is not about you giving something to God, and Him rewarding you. This is you having a clod of dirt in your hand, with your fist clenched tight, and God wants to give you a diamond. But if you don’t let go of that dirt, and drop it to the ground, you can’t reach out and receive the diamond. What are you actually sacrificing? What are you really giving up? You’re not giving anything to God. You’re simply letting go of the thing that’s making you poor, to pursue a wisdom that will make you rich. 

Let go of that clod in your hand. God has destined you for more than this. Choose wisdom rather than any earthly thing, because nothing you desire can compare with her.

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