In Gospel of Mark chapter 10, a man comes to Jesus with a question:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
It’s a great question.
He’s serious.
Sincere.
He’s done a lot of things right.
So Jesus looks at him and says:
“One thing you lack…”
Not ten.
Not a list.
Just one.
Because it wasn’t his behavior holding him back.
It was what he trusted.
His status.
His possessions.
The wealth he had built his life around.
And when Jesus told him to let it go—
He walked away.
The Mirror We Didn’t Expect
That’s not just his story.
It’s a lot of people’s story.
People who hold onto the very things
that keep them stuck—
the things that keep them
from fully following Jesus.
And you can see it— in life and believe it or not, in the Peanuts comic strip.
Yes, The Peanuts comic strip.
AKA Charlie Brown and his friends.
Here’s an interesting fun filled fact –
There are no villains in the Peanuts comic strip.
Have you ever noticed that?
Why is that?
Because sometimes
we are our own worst enemy.
And when that happens,
we get stuck.
Stuck in who we are.
Stuck in where we are.
Just like the kids in Peanuts.
They’re not stuck because they can’t change—
they’re stuck because they won’t let go.
The one trait.
The one habit.
The one belief about themselves.
They hold onto it—
even when it’s the very thing holding them back.
And for over 50 years, Charlie Brown and his friends stayed stuck in the same place
because they wouldn’t acknowledge—
or let go of—their one thing.
And if we’re honest…
some of us are doing the exact same thing.
Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown keeps showing up.
Again.
And again.
And again.
He tries.
He hopes.
This time will be different.
This time it will work.
And then…
It doesn’t.
Because underneath all of it
is a voice.
Quiet.
Consistent.
Familiar.
Insecurity.
“This is how it always goes.”
“This is who you are.”
And as long as he listens to that voice—
nothing changes.
Lucy
Lucy van Pelt knows.
She just knows.
What you should do.
What they should do.
What everyone should do.
She’s confident.
Certain.
In control.
But underneath it all
is something else.
Pride.
The need to be right.
The need to stay in charge.
Because if she lets go of control…
Then what?
And so she holds on.
And nothing changes.
Sally
Sally Brown sees the world
through one lens.
Hers.
What she wants.
What she feels.
What she deserves.
It’s not loud.
It’s quiet.
But it’s constant.
And when everything comes back to you—
you never really see anything beyond you.
And so she stays right where she is.
Marcie
Marcie understands.
She gets it.
She can explain it.
Break it down.
Make sense of it.
And sometimes…
That becomes the problem.
Because understanding something
can feel like progress.
Even when nothing actually changes.
Because knowing
isn’t the same as letting go.
Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty is moving.
Always moving.
Talking.
Doing.
Reacting.
There’s always something next.
Something else.
But when everything is loud—
you don’t have to listen.
And when you don’t slow down…
You don’t have to face
what’s right in front of you.
Snoopy
Snoopy imagines a different life.
A better one.
A bigger one.
A more exciting one.
Where he’s the hero.
Where he’s in control.
And for a moment…
It works.
Because fantasy feels safer
than reality.
But eventually—
You have to come back down.
And what you avoided
is still there.
Linus
Linus van Pelt is different.
He thinks.
He reflects.
He sees things others miss.
He understands.
He can say things
that sound… true.
Grounded.
Clear.
And yet—
He’s always holding onto something.
His blanket.
Not just a habit.
Not just comfort.
Something deeper.
Something he reaches for
when things feel uncertain.
When the world feels too big.
Too unpredictable.
It steadies him.
It makes him feel… safe.
And that’s the tension.
Because Linus knows.
He understands.
He can point others
in the right direction.
But when it comes to letting go
of the very thing he depends on—
He hesitates.
Because sometimes
the thing that feels the safest…
is the very thing
that keeps us stuck.
The Pattern
That’s the connection.
The man in Mark 10…
and every character in Peanuts.
They’re not far off.
They’re close.
They’re almost there.
But each one has one thing they won’t release.
And that one thing?
It’s enough to keep them exactly where they are—
instead of where Jesus wants them to be.
These are just a few examples.
We didn’t even get to Schroeder, Violet, or even Woodstock.
Because the point isn’t them.
It’s us.
We either see ourselves in what they’re holding onto…
or in something different—
but just as real.
Because our “one thing”
doesn’t always look wrong.
Sometimes it looks reasonable.
Sometimes it looks… safe.
But it’s the very thing
holding us back
from fully following Jesus.
The Question
So here it is:
What’s your one thing?
I could be wrong.
But I think you already know what it is.
I think you felt it
the moment you started reading this.
If I’m right—
it’s time to let it go.
phillipbrande.com 