1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” A big part to living life with joy and flow is letting go. I could name enough things I’ve let go of and still need to in 100 posts!

When I think of the word casting, I think of throwing something and letting it go completely.

Like casting off in knitting. I haven’t knitted since I was an adolescent, but it’s a final stich where your project is finished.

Then there’s the casting as in a fishing line. In this case, you can reel the line back to you (hopefully with a fish).

But how often do we let go and cast our cares on God only to reel them back in again? I’ll be the first to raise my hand.

Letting Go of the Inner Critic

I’m working on letting go of my inner critic that sits on my shoulder. I won’t dignify the critic with a male or female pronoun and call it an it, because it can block my joy and flow.

I have learned, however, to turn down the volume. But every now and then, it pops up. It’s usually when I am doing something significant.

It turns out I’m not the only person with an inner critic pest. I was invited to be on the board of the St. Louis Publishers Association. On the first day, we met in a big conference room that had a large table. Each person went around the table and introduced themselves and shared a little.

I shared how my inner critic showed up in a big way when I was graduating from high school. I had never talked about my inner critic before. Every person after me told their inner critic stories!

It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from C. S. Lewis, “Friendship… is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

The critic will have me compare myself to others. It will make me feel less than, not enough, not productive enough, and a host of other not enoughs.

What Do You Need to Cast Off and Let Go?

Maybe you don’t have a critic but the voice of a parent, teacher, friend, or person in authority that drives your behavior. This influence may be buried so deep that you are not conscious of it.

Or maybe you have developed some bad habits that affect your health and well-being. You know you need to change, but you are holding onto them even if they make you miserable. We naturally seek pleasure over pain. We also seek the familiar rather than change, even if the present is painful.

Maybe you need to let go by forgiving yourself or others, let go of a toxic relationship, or let go of worry.

God is waiting for you to cast your cares on Him. When you let go and let God, you not only live with joy and flow but with freedom.

One of the many resources I offer to help you in this letting go process is the Letting Go meditation, Letting Go Prayer and Three Steps to Letting Go. These are free resources that will help you to cast your cares on God by letting go.

Is there something you’ve let go or need to? I’d love for you to respond in the comment section below.