Have you ever held onto something you didn’t need? Maybe an old sweater you never wear, a stack of papers you keep “just in case,” or a random kitchen gadget that seemed useful at the timer but has only collected dust.
The other day, I bought something and almost immediately realized I didn’t need it. No problem–I’d just return it. Easy fix, right? But when I went to grab the receipt, it was nowhere to be found.
I checked my purse, retraced my steps, and searched the car. Nothing. Then, in a moment of desperation, I even checked the trash–because surely, it had to be somewhere. But after all that searching, I had to face the reality: the receipt was gone.
And of course, without that little slip of paper, returning it was going to be way harder than it should’ve been.
Later, as I thought about how frustrating that was, it hit me–how often do we do this in life? We carry things we don’t need, things that should’ve been let go of long ago; regret over past mistakes, guilt that weighs us down, worries about things we can’t change. We convince ourselves that we have to keep holding onto them, that somehow we still owe something.
But the truth? Through Jesus, we already have the receipt that says paid in full.
Our mistakes, our past, the things we wish we could undo– He’s already covered them. No searching, no digging, no desperate attempts to prove we’re worthy of letting go. The price has been paid.
That's why "Clean" by Natalie Grant fits so perfectly with this message. The song is such a beautiful reminder that, through Christ, we are washed clean. Our past doesn't define us. The stains we thought were permanent? God has wiped them away.
Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
God’s not holding onto the past. So why do we?
Maybe today is the day to stop searching for reasons to hold on and finally let go of the things you don’t need anymore. Because in Christ, you are free. No receipt required.
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