“You just have to let go and let God.”
You’ve probably heard this phrase before. It’s a particular favorite amongst Christian influencers and megachurch pastors. Let go and let God—the idea of letting go of whatever troubles you in this life and letting God take care of you and your situation. In one sense, this little phrase is a great reminder that we’re not ultimately in control of what goes on in our lives and we need to trust God’s sovereign will.
In another sense, this little phrase can cause major theological errors that greatly affect our faith and relationship with God. Before we share this clever quip with someone or use it to define our own lives, we ought to ask: “Should I really let go and let God?”
The Problem of Let Go
The first major issue with this phrase has to do with letting go. Many times, when someone hits you up with a “let go, let God,” they’re suggesting that once you start letting go of your fears, doubts, and anxieties, your life will get one-hundred percent better. Once you get to this level of faith in God, you will then experience easy spiritual victory. However, the Bible does not promise believers an easy life when they “let go.” Pastor John MacArthur writes,
“Scripture does not tell us to ‘let go and let God.’ The Bible never promises any easy, automatic victory over sin and temptation.”[1]
Christians still struggle with sin and temptation daily, even after they’ve been saved and regenerated (Romans 7:18-20, 1 Corinthians 10:13). We look forward to the day when our lives will have complete freedom from and full victory over sin and temptation (Revelation 21:4), but until then, we have to work towards our sanctification and becoming more like Christ every single day (Philippians 2:12, Hebrews 12:14). We can’t just “let go.” We must lean in and pursue holiness. It is only when we strive for a holy and fruitful life that we can experience true transformation and victory.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,” Romans 12:1-2a, ESV
The Problem of Let God
The second major issue with this phrase has to do with letting God. By saying “let God,” most people are referring to allowing God to work in your life and take care of the situations you’re stressing about. But let’s take a step back to look at the language we’re using. Let? Allow? As author Rachel Jankovic wrote in her most recent book,
“Let Him? Who exactly do you think that He is? One of the corporate sponsors at your life conference? Someone we give a little plug for at the beginning and the end of major moments? What control of your life do you actually have that you are going to turn over to the Lord for a moment? Are you really the star of the show and the main attraction? Or is He?”[2]
Perhaps you think this response is an overreaction, but take a moment to examine your heart and your life. Do you really believe that God is the sovereign, all-powerful King of the universe who ordains and determines everything that happens, both big and small? Or do you live as if you’re the one who’s in charge and only turn to God when things get messy? Let’s be honest: most of us fall in the latter. We do what we want when we want, and we think we have everything under control. But when things begin to spiral out of control and we don’t know what to do, we turn to Him and say, “It’s your turn, God.” Jared Wilson once said,
“To all of this we ought to say that any God who needs us to activate him is not much of a god at all…He doesn’t need our help. And he doesn’t need our permission.”[3]
We don’t need to let God work in our lives. We don’t need to allow Jesus in our hearts. We don’t need to activate the Holy Spirit. In fact, we can’t do any of these things. We don’t have that kind of power. God is already actively working in your life, in my life, and in the lives of all His people for our ultimate good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). And it is our job to submit to Him.
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Psalm 115:1-3
Be Holy and Trust God
Let go and let God. It’s quite a catchy phrase. However, the implications of this phrase are near heresy. It encourages Christians to let go of their situations instead of leaning into holy living in spite of them. It insinuates that believers have the power and ability to let God into their lives instead of acknowledging that God is already working in us and through us in powerful ways.
When you or those close to you are troubled or struggling, using the phrase “let go and let God” is not all that helpful. Instead, it would be more beneficial to say, “Be holy and trust God.” God has called us to holy living, even when life gets hard. He is a faithful God, and we can trust that He will care for us, He will provide for us, and that He is actively working everything in our lives for our good.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30
[1] John MacArthur, Sanctification: God’s Passion for His People (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020), 47.
[2] Rachel Jankovic, You Who? Why You Matter and How to Deal With It (Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2019), 74.
[3] Jared C. Wilson, “The Devilishness of ‘Let Go and Let God’ Theology,” last modified November 20, 2019, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/devilishness-let-go-let-god-theology/.
