Strong spirits: relinquish?
It means letting go of troubles and treasures, problems and pleasures.
Who or what do you need to relinquish? Relinquish means to give up control, surrender, release, let go.
The word doesn't occur in the Bible as far as I know, but the concept is central to the Bible, and especially to the life and teachings of Jesus...
"If any of your want to come with me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." (Jesus to his followers (Matthew 16:24))
"There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give your money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me." (Jesus to a rich man (Luke 18:22))
"I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!" (Job (Job 1:21))
Relinquishment means freedom. Letting go of both our troubles and our treasures, our problems and our pleasures, our blessings and our burdens. It means we let go of control and surrender fully to God's will. Jesus relinquished everything out of love for the Father, and for us. I encourage you, let go!
Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.
On Sunday, August 17, 2025, Caledonia Congregational Church at 14730 Oak Street will be celebrating 130 years of worship services in this church building. We will start with a worship service at 10:30 a.m. led by Gary Schwerin and then go outside for a picnic at noon. We will have brats, hot dogs, sides, and drinks. Everyone is invited.
