Accepting Impermanence and Letting Go

04/06/2025 

2 Corinthians 4:18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 

I have said in the past that it is not easy being a human being. As a child of God, we are hybrid beings: physical beings and spiritual beings. We are concurrently children of God and children of the world, and we have powerful lessons to learn in both categories that overlap and interact with each other.

The hardest lessons to learn are those that often clash with our deeply ingrained instincts, biases, and desires. They are the lessons that require us to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves, the world, and our place in it. Over the next few weeks, outside of Palm Sunday and Easter, I want to look at the hardest lessons we must learn when it comes to our physical nature.

Just to review, although we have a body, we are not this body. It is our physical vessel while we walk the earth. In 2 Corinthians 5:1 we are told, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Our body, as is everything else in the physical world, is temporary and that is the first tough lesson that I want to address. 

Accepting impermanence, and the idea of letting go, are arguably the most fundamental and perpetually challenging lessons we have as a human being. We have a natural inclination to attach to things: people, our body, possessions, identities, even ideas. Understanding and accepting the concept that everything is temporary is incredibly difficult and is one of the major causes of anxiety and suffering. Our physical nature tends to resist loss, change, and our own inevitable end. This lesson touches on grief, aging, the nature of reality itself, and the necessity of non-attachment for attaining inner peace.

The Bible addresses impermanence and letting go through themes of trust in God, non-attachment from worldly bonds, and embracing change as part of spiritual growth. Matthew 6:19-21 reminds us of the transient nature of life and worldly possessions.  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This verse teaches non-attachment from material possessions and an eternal perspective.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 tells us, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” From this we learn that change is inevitable. Roman 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God's promises are timeless, offering us a path to true change, growth, and transformation. As a child of God, we are not intended to lay in stagnation, caught up in the chains of the world. We were created with the ability to renew our minds, thoughts, and perspectives, and discover a life aligned with divine purpose. One of the chief ideas Christ came to teach was that we are not the body; it is impermanent, and our spirit is eternal.

An important area of letting go is that of our burdens – all the emotional and psychological debris that we carry around with us. This includes fears, anxieties, doubts, misconceptions, and other unproductive feelings. Our negative emotions are meant to be impermanent. I have said that some of these things, like shame and guilt, are actually guides, indicators that we are off track. But once we recognize shame, experience it, and learn from it, we get back on track and release it. That is healthy.

We are not our shame or guilt or feeling of unworthiness; they do not define who we are. They are part of a monitoring system built into us from the words written on our hearts by God. But when we do not turn them off, and instead carry them around and defy their impermanence, they begin to overwhelm us and cause us pain.

It is like water. Water is necessary, and we cannot live without it. But what if we get too much water? We are surrounded by water and cannot get anything except water? We drown. The same is true of all these negative feelings. Too much, and they drowned us. 

The Bible encourages us to release our worries and trust in God. Turn off the flow of darkness pouring in and turn on the flow of God’s love and light. Philippians 4:6-7 advises: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 1 Peter 5:7 urges us to, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We are to redirect the flow of anxiety and turn it toward a trusted source that loves us.

Letting go also involves forgiving others. Anger and resentment do not belong to us; they are meant to be released by forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 calls us to, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” By forgiving, we free ourselves and the other person from the weight of resentment. Ephesians 4:31-32 encourages us to, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

By facing the truth that things of the world are temporary, we open ourselves to the things that are permanent and are constantly before us. The Bible inspires hope by focusing on renewal and moving forward. Isaiah 43:18-19 tells us, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.” God invites us to be open to new beginnings, and is always making us and everything around us new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We are never stagnant unless we attach to the world.

Letting go of impermanent things leads to spiritual growth. Luke 9:62 says this, “But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.’” This does not mean that we are unworthy or do not deserve the God’s Kingdom. It means we are not going to see the gates to enter if we are not looking in the right direction. If our focus is behind us, to where we were, to who we were, and not on to where God is taking us, then we are not yet committed to God’s plan. It is our faith that determines our focus. If we trust God, our focus is on God. If we trust ourselves or the world, that is where we look.

Earthly attachment often hinders spiritual progress, so non-attachment is an avenue to experience union with God. All that we encounter in life is intended as a loving gift so that we can draw ever nearer to the Divine One. Some are meant to be temporary, others permanent. We develop into more loving people when we treat these gifts with reverence. To do this we must become non-attached and non-judgmental. We find balance in using God’s gifts by using what is beneficial and brings us divine clarity and releasing those gifts when they begin to hinder our growth toward being a loving person.

According to St. Ignatius, a 15th century monk (10/1491 - 7/1556), we are created to praise, reverence, and serve God. Therefore, "Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want, and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening life in me."  As a result of this awareness, we do not fix our desires on either health or sickness, because each condition can bring us closer to God. There are times when an illness brings our focus back to Christ. We do not desire wealth over poverty because every circumstance can bring perfect alignment to Spirit. Rather, we only focus on God, God's will, and God's desire to bring us goodness.

John 2:17 assures us: “The world is passing away… but whoever does the will of God remains forever.” This verse reminds us that aligning ourselves with God’s will gives us lasting purpose and hope.

To conclude, impermanence reminds us that earthly life is fleeting but points us toward eternal hope in God. As we accept change and loss with faith, we grow closer to Him and deepen our reliance on His unchanging nature. Let us fix our eyes on Christ—the cornerstone of an everlasting kingdom—and trust that He is making all things new. It is my prayer that we lean on God’s understanding, accept that “this too shall pass,” and trust God’s plan during uncertain times. I pray that we embrace change with faith, knowing it leads to growth and transformation. By understanding and accepting impermanence and practicing letting go, it is my prayer that we will cultivate peace, resilience, and deeper communion with God through Christ Jesus.