Should I let go or keep fighting?

When I put out the call to my subscribers to send me requests for what they needed encouragement with, I did not anticipate the incredibly personal and vulnerable responses that I might get back. The reader request that inspired this post tugged at very deep places of my heart as I could feel the depth of pain and struggle contained in the words shared. It is not my place to share the details and it isn’t necessary to do so. At the core of it was this question: should I let go or keep fighting? This is a question that so many of us can relate to in a myriad of diverse ways.
The answer to that question will be vastly different in every situation, with so many factors at play. I debated internally how I could respond in this forum in a way that could encourage anyone, no matter their circumstances. There are times to let go. There are times when we need to keep fighting. Discerning which is best is never easy, especially when our emotions are deeply invested. A thought that I couldn’t shake is that maybe there is a third option. Maybe we need to fight from a place of letting go.
How can two seemingly opposing actions co-exist? I have pondered this concept in different forms for a long time. I have heard the phrase “fighting from a place of rest” and wondered what it meant. What does that look that? Is it even possible? Doesn’t fighting require our all? How is there space for rest or letting go in that?
The possibility of this idea only works when you view rest and letting go as active concepts and as a frame of mind rather than a passive action. When I let go of control or the need for an outcome to go exactly my way, I am able to fight with more strength and more creativity in a way. My energy can go into what is important instead of being tied up in my own head trying to get what I want. I don’t know if that makes any sense to someone not in my head! I am able to be more open to compromises, directions I didn’t anticipate, new approaches and the other people who may be involved.
For me, it comes back to the same issues as facing uncertainty with certainty. Do I trust God with this situation? Do I trust that He is good and has it under control? Am I tuning in to what He may be asking me to do or not to do? There have certainly been times of sensing that I am to sit back and wait, to let go when my natural inclination is to fight. It makes no sense at the time. Lo and behold, the situation is resolved in ways I couldn’t possibly have made happen. At other times, my natural tendency has been to let go as it is too hard when I hear the call to push in and fight.
I recognise my limited view. I acknowledge the impact my emotions and even hormones can play in what I want to do at that given moment. I need a higher perspective and longer-term view. I cannot gain that in my own power. I need that relationship with God, the wisdom and knowledge of His Scripture and the counsel of wise people around me.
I cannot possibly know every situation that you are facing. I certainly don’t know what the answer is for you. Maybe you need to ponder the idea of fighting from a place of letting go and rest, and what that might look like for you. Maybe you need to stop trying to figure it out for yourself and seek a higher perspective. Maybe you need the encouragement that the answer you are sensing that seems counterproductive or against your natural tendency may just be the right one.

This post is part of a series for Write 31 Days called “For Your Encouragement.” I am taking requests from readers on what they want encouragement about and responding to the best of my ability. I would love to hear from you.

You can read the rest of the posts in this series here.