bible verses about letting go

Bible Verses About Letting Go: 12

Bible verses about letting go: 12 Scriptures on releasing the past, pressing on, and casting cares without gripping what is behind.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 20265 min readPhilippians 3:13 (NIV)

One person takes another's hand to cross a shallow stream on stepping stones.

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

— Philippians 3:13 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about letting go want Scripture for releasing the past and pressing on — not only the forgiveness list (absolution of sin) or the peace list (quiet of heart). This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about trust, Bible verses about peace, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about forgiveness, Bible verses about healing, Bible verses about faith, and Bible verses about prayer. Letting go here means releasing grip on what is behind and straining forward — distinct from absolution alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "forgive" / "leave" / "let go" is often ἀφίημι aphiemi (Strong's G863; Bible Hub G863) — to send away, leave, or release. On this page the focus is release of grip — not the courtroom sense of absolution alone (see forgiveness for that). Scripture also presses forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Philippians 3 presses that Paul forgets what is behind and reaches forward — past attainments and past losses are not to halt the race (Bible Hub commentaries on Philippians 3:13; Bible Hub MHC Philippians 3; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Philippians 3). On Isaiah 43 he marks that former things are not to be dwelt on when God announces a new path (Bible Hub commentaries on Isaiah 43:18; Bible Hub MHC Isaiah 43).

12 Bible verses about letting go

  1. Philippians 3:13-14. "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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." Forgetting what is behind is paired with straining forward — letting go is directional, not blank memory. See Bible verses about hope.

  2. Luke 17:32. "Remember Lot's wife!" Looking back is the warning — release is refusing to freeze facing yesterday. See Bible verses about faith.

  3. Hebrews 12:1. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Throw off what hinders — weight and entanglement both get released for the race. See Bible verses about strength.

  4. 1 Peter 5:7. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Casting is active release — cares go onto him because he cares. See Bible verses about prayer.

  5. Psalm 55:22. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." Cast and he will sustain — letting go of the care is paired with his holding. See Bible verses about trust.

  6. Luke 9:62. "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" Looking back while plowing ruins the furrow — forward eyes are part of release. See Bible verses about faith.

  7. Ephesians 4:22. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;" The former way of life is what gets put off — release of the old self, not a tighter grip. See Bible verses about peace.

  8. Ecclesiastes 3:6. "a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away." There is a time to give up and throw away — seasons include release, not only holding. See Bible verses about hope.

  9. Matthew 11:29. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Exchange of yoke is a form of release — his yoke instead of the one you were gripping. See Bible verses about healing.

  10. Colossians 3:2. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Mind-set upward loosens grip on earthly clinging — attention is redirected. See Bible verses about encouragement.

  11. Proverbs 4:25. "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you." Eyes forward are part of release — the gaze leaves what is beside and behind. See Bible verses about faith.

  12. Proverbs 3:5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" Trust releases the lean on your own understanding — the grip of self-wisdom loosens. See Bible verses about trust. For absolution of sin (not release of the past alone), see Bible verses about forgiveness.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse for prayer when the past still grips, a card for someone ready to press on, or teaching that forgetting-behind pairs with straining-ahead — not twelve as a quick fix. If you need forgetting-what-is-behind, start with Philippians 3:13-14. If you need do-not-look-back, start with Luke 17:32. If you need cast-your-cares, start with 1 Peter 5:7 or Psalm 55:22. For absolution language, see Bible verses about forgiveness. For quiet of heart, see Bible verses about peace. For confidence in what God will do, see Bible verses about hope. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse for letting go?

Philippians 3:13-14 (forgetting what is behind), Luke 17:32 (remember Lot's wife), and 1 Peter 5:7 (cast all your anxiety on him) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about letting go differ from forgiveness verses?

Forgiveness pages center absolution and releasing another's sin; a letting-go page focuses releasing grip on the past and pressing forward — aphiemi as send-away, not courtroom pardon alone. Cross-link Bible verses about forgiveness.

What does aphiemi mean on this page?

Strong's G863 aphiemi is to send away, leave, or release — here the emphasis is loosening grip, while the forgiveness list covers the pardon sense more fully.

Is letting go the same as forgetting everything?

Philippians 3:13 pairs forgetting what is behind with straining toward what is ahead — directional release, not erasing memory of God's faithfulness.

Where can I read more about trust, peace, and hope?

Start with Bible verses about trust, then Bible verses about peace, Bible verses about hope, and Bible verses about forgiveness.

Sources

A woman takes a man's hand to cross a stream on stepping stones.

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