The Power of Giving Up - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - July 16, 2026
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” - Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
When my husband and I planted three rows of raspberries at the bottom of our yard, I envisioned summers spent picking ruby red fruit and towering stalks forming leafy tunnels for little ones to play hide-and-seek in. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. I rarely took the time to weed and fertilize, and over the course of 12 years, I probably only pruned the old raspberry canes—a task that really needs to be done every year—once or twice. As a result, most of the plants never grew more than a couple of feet tall, and their annual berry output would have fed a small squirrel for a few days at most. Eventually, I got tired of the mental load of knowing I should take better care of them, but never doing it. And I finally admitted that cultivating raspberries, as idyllic as it sounded, just wasn’t a priority. I had other goals and commitments that were more important and more enjoyable.
So, a couple of years ago, we decided to mow down the raspberry patch and turn it into a fire pit. It was a sad decision, but it was also such a relief to no longer have the raspberries hanging over my head. My berry guilt was gone, and I could use that raspberry-shaped mental space to focus on other things.
A few days ago, I was in my yard and got to thinking about how giving up on the raspberries can parallel other aspects of life. Sometimes, there are things we keep doing—or think we should be doing—that, honestly, we’d be better off letting go of. It could be a volunteer position that we don’t enjoy or simply don’t have time for, a project we started ages ago but have yet to complete (the image that keeps coming to my mind is of a half-knit scarf that lived in my closet for probably close to a decade before I finally chucked it), or a relationship that was once important but now feels like an obligation.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for persevering. Absolutely. When there’s something your heart longs for and you believe God is calling you to pursue, persevering is one of the most important things we can do. But I’ve learned that being willing to give up on something that’s weighing us down has its place, too. In fact, giving up can actually play a powerful role in helping us fulfill our God-given callings. In Hebrews 12:1, we’re told to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (NLT).
While this passage emphasizes sin that holds us back, I think it applies just as well to things that are not overtly sinful yet still distract us from the unique assignments God has given us. The truth is, letting go of nice-but-non-essential tasks frees us to put our time, money, and physical and emotional energy toward the people, projects, and goals that mean the most to us. Letting go allows us to run our race well.
How about you, friend? Do you have something hanging over your head that you’d benefit from “stripping off”? If you were to let go of that thing, what would you do with your newfound time and energy? How would releasing it help you run your race better?
I know that letting go can be hard—after all, there’s a reason we were doing the thing to begin with (I really did love the idea of fresh raspberries just steps from my front door!). But there’s no shame in giving something up when we realize it’s slowing us down, and I’ve found that the feelings of lightness, relief, and freedom that come with the release are totally worth the discomfort of saying goodbye. I think you’ll find the same to be true!
Let's pray ...
Dear Lord, thank You for creating me on purpose for a purpose and for planning good works for me before I was even born. I love that I get to partner with You in bringing Your light and hope to the world around me. Lord, sometimes I don’t even realize when something has become a drain on my resources and is hindering me from focusing on what’s most important. Please give me wisdom and discernment to know when it’s time to let go of a project, commitment, job, hobby, or volunteer position so I can run my race well and accomplish all you’ve set before me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Priscilla Du Preez
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
