August 27

Drop it, Leave It, and Let It Go

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.

MARK 11:25

“Drop it, leave it, and let it go,” is what the Bible says we are to do with offenses (Mark 11:25). It is important to forgive quickly. The quicker we do it, the easier it becomes. A weed that has deep roots is harder to pull out than one that has just sprung up.

Love forgives; it does not hold a grudge. It is not touchy, easily offended, nor is it fretful or resentful (1 Corinthians 13:5). Knowing this, we can look at our own lives and easily understand if we are walking in love. If you have anything against anyone, make the choice right now to “drop it, leave it, and let it go.”

We have many opportunities every day to get offended, and each time we have a choice to make. If we choose to live by our feelings, we will constantly be offended and upset. But if we choose to live in love, we will forgive people when they offend us and trust God to defend us, rather than feeling like we always have to defend ourselves.

God is love, and He forgives and forgets: “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34 NASB). And He is glad to do so. The closer we get to Him, the more we become like Him. With God’s help, we can learn to live a life of love and forgiveness.

When you decide to “drop it, leave it, and let it go,” joy and contentment are the natural results.