Monday Morning Pause

Philippians 3:13–14

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

It’s nearly impossible to think about Disney’s Frozen Ever After without hearing those familiar words:

“Let it go.”

As we journey through Arendelle on the ride, we enter a story about fear, love, identity, and ultimately the freedom that comes when Elsa stops trying to hide who she is and control everything around her.

“Let it go” sounds simple enough.

But in real life, letting go rarely is.

We carry things with us—past mistakes, regrets, disappointments, hurts, expectations, resentment, worries about the future, and sometimes even dreams that didn’t unfold the way we hoped.

We may know we need to release them, but simply telling ourselves to let it go doesn’t always work.

Perhaps that’s because Christian faith invites us to do something deeper.

We don’t simply let go. We entrust.

Paul writes in Philippians, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.”

Paul certainly hadn’t forgotten his past as though it never happened. His story included mistakes, pain, struggle, and regret. But he refused to allow what was behind him to determine where God could lead him next.

That is an important difference.

Letting go doesn’t mean pretending something didn’t matter. It doesn’t mean denying our pain or erasing our memories. It means loosening our grip and placing what we have been carrying into the hands of God.

God, I can’t change this.
I can’t fix this.
I can’t keep carrying this.
So I’m giving it to you.

And then, with hands a little more open and hearts a little lighter, we begin moving forward.

Not because the past is suddenly unimportant, but because we trust that God is already waiting for us in what comes next.

Pause & Reflect

What are you carrying from the past that has become heavy?

Is there a regret, disappointment, hurt, expectation, or worry you keep holding onto?

What might it look like to entrust it to God rather than simply trying to “let it go”?

Imagine placing it into God’s hands.

Then ask:

What might God be inviting me to move toward?

Perhaps today’s prayer doesn’t need to be complicated.

God, I give this to you. Help me take the next step.

Prayer

Gracious God,
you know the things we carry—
the regrets, hurts, disappointments,
worries, and unfinished stories
we find difficult to release.

Teach us that letting go
does not mean pretending they never mattered.

Instead, help us entrust them to you.

Take what we can no longer change.
Hold what we can no longer carry.
Heal what still hurts.

And with our hands open
and our hearts turned toward you,
give us courage to press on
toward whatever you have for us next.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 Ronda Welander