Any suggestions on how to "let go and let God"?

[DaughterOfEve24]

Some food for thought:

Does "Let Go and Let God" Come from the Bible?

[Johann]

Disagree with the article, count the Imperatives in Scripture.

The slogan “let go and let God” is not a biblical phrase and, taken at face value, it can mislead. Scripture does not teach passive spirituality; it teaches dependent activity, we act, precisely because God is at work in us.

1. What Scripture actually teaches (both sides held together)
   God is the decisive worker
   Philippians 2:13 (ESV)

“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

ἐνεργῶν (energōn) - God is the active agent producing both the willing and the doing.

Therefore, we actively obey
Philippians 2:12 (ESV)

“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”

κατεργάζεσθε (katergazesthe) - ongoing, deliberate effort.

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV)

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
strong text

διώκετε (diōkete) - pursue, press hard after.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV)

“I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Paul’s paradigm is not “let go,” but “grace-empowered exertion.”

2. What is unbiblical in the slogan
   Taken strictly, “let go and let God” suggests:

Passivity instead of obedience

Withdrawal of effort instead of Spirit-enabled striving

A collapse of the distinction between means (our actions) and cause (God’s power)

That cuts against the grain of texts that command repentance, faith, mortification, perseverance, and discipline (Rom 8:13; Col 3:5; 1 Tim 4:7–8).

3) Where the phrase comes from
The wording is post-biblical and is usually traced to the Keswick Convention (late 19th century), part of the “Higher Life” / “victorious Christian living” movement.

It emphasized a second-step surrender for victory over sin.

In popular devotion, that emphasis often drifted into quietism (over-correction toward passivity).

The phrase later spread widely through devotional literature and recovery movements (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), where it functions more as a coping maxim than a doctrinal statement.

4. A better biblical formulation
   Instead of “let go and let God,” Scripture pushes us to hold both truths:

Dependence: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)

Diligence: “Make every effort…” (2 Pet 1:5)

So a more precise summary would be:

“Trust God completely, and therefore act obediently.”
or
“Rely on God’s power as you actively pursue holiness.”

5) Bottom line

The phrase is not biblical in wording and can be theologically imprecise.

The Bible teaches monergism in regeneration and synergistic sanctification in practice (God as the decisive cause; we as real, responsible agents).

The Christian life is not “letting go,” but Spirit-empowered striving grounded in total dependence on God.

Amazing what a deep dive into Scripture can do!

J.

[KPuff]

@Johann

Quick fix slogans should never be substituted for Scripture, and the “Let Go and Let God” slogan is bad theology that can be horribly misleading for living one’s life.
So, as God works in your life, let go of the slogan and grasp onto God, and grasp him continually.

GREAT admonition!

KP

[Johann]

Brother @KPuff, feel free to correct anything I post. I won’t take offense, I genuinely welcome correction.

J