Is It Time For A Change?
Life has seasons.
From the time we are born and come out of the womb, we learn and grow and adapt to changes. Our communication changes from crying and screaming into verbal communication and asking for what we need. Our education goes from our mother teaching us how to use a fork, to learning our ABC’s and 1,2,3’s, and then reading and writing, moving along to complicated subjects like Physics and Algebra. We graduate and go to college or a trade school for fine-tuned education and then we are off to our first career! Then comes marriage, having babies, and maybe even a change in careers. Maybe there is ministry and who knows? Maybe a move across the country is in the future! Change is inevitable. It must come.
My seasons
I have moved 16 times and have gone through many, many seasons throughout my life and have embraced new seasons with many new people. I’ve experienced everything from jobs, to marriage, having babies and staying home, to part-time work, to building my own business from home. I have been a part of ministries in many churches across the country and even those ministries have changed over the years. I’ve gone from singing in a choir to becoming a worship leader. I’ve taught Bible stories in a 2 year old classroom. My husband and I led and directed prayer ministries and held conferences. I’ve been a blogger and a podcaster and have had many, many, MANY one on one coffee dates with women, listening and giving counsel. I’ve stopped everything to homeschool my kids and later learned how to “coach” them as they joined co-ops for harder subjects. I’ve had to learn how to say yes, how to say no, and how to pause and wait for God to guide me into my next season.
In adulthood, it can become a little harder to know when our season is about to change. How do we know when to embrace change or when to stay put and keep doing what we are doing? I have a few insights and tips that should help you identify when change is around the corner and how to adapt.
How to know if change is coming:
Your heart’s not in it anymore
You may find yourself feeling dread. You no longer enjoy your job or your current volunteer environment. You may even feel like it’s draining you rather than fulfilling you. You have a “sense of knowing” deep inside your soul that you were made for more. You will not be satisfied until you make some steps towards the thing your heart desires. God has placed a dream on the inside of you. Maybe you need to stay in your current position for a little while longer while you make your plans to embrace the education or training you need for the next endeavor. Take time to listen to those promptings of your heart and pray for clarity every chance you get. God will lead you step by step in showing you how and when to move forward. You don’t have to be miserable for the rest of your life. Seek God for guidance and stay open minded to the possibility that change is just around the corner!
No longer producing outcome
It is easy to get into a rhythm of doing things a certain way that produces a desired outcome, but over time that outcome may start to dwindle. Things change, people change, technology changes, and people’s interests change. Have you started seeing numbers decline? Maybe it’s your profits or the number of people showing interest, but take an honest assessment of growth or lack of growth. It’s probably time to investigate how to “spruce things up” and try something different. It could be the need for small changes or a tweak here or there, or maybe it will mean trying something completely new. Don’t be afraid to grow and learn a new way of doing things!
Feeling the nudge
Is God trying to nudge us forward to new things but we are so attached and comfortable where we are that we are afraid to take a leap? God does give us lasting friendships and yes, we do tend to love what is secure, but what if.....just maybe… He is ready to take us on an adventure??!!! But we could be too ....(how do I say this?) “stubborn??” to go and follow God? Abraham in the Bible was called to pick up and GO and take his family to a new land. He didn’t even know where exactly God was taking him. Moses was another example of God giving instructions for him to lead his people out of their comfort zone for something so much better. When God is ready to do something new, we need to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on God and go where He leads instead of being too attached to the places and people who feel comfortable.
Do you feel God telling you to start something new?
Do you feel like your creative juices are flowing? Do you think about starting a company or ministry and have new ideas constantly flooding into your head? If this is the case then it’s time to put those thoughts into action. Start the process of learning and researching and begin building your dreams. Those dreams may be one of the very reasons God has you on this planet! Do not feel like you have to be perfect or have everything in perfect order to begin. God will use you right where you are and will be faithful to bring the necessary people into your life to help you along the way. Never, ever, ever despise small beginnings. These ideas could turn into your favorite hobby or maybe they will become a million dollar company one day!! Either way, just realize you are doing something that fulfills you and makes you energized and happy! That is the most valuable and rewarding part!
Others see your gifting and encourage you to start
Have others seen your handiwork and are encouraging you to start a business? Maybe it’s woodworking or cooking. Maybe it’s teaching or writing. Or maybe they see a gifting in you that will inspire others. Whatever the case, never ignore the encouragement of others. They tend to see the possibilities without the fear. They believe in you when you may not believe in yourself. You may want to ask some questions to find out exactly what they see in you that you may not see in yourself!
Finally: Embrace your new season!
1-Don’t let the opinions of others hold you back. They aren’t walking in your shoes and it’s impossible for them to know what it’s like to be YOU! They may have gotten comfortable having you around and not understand the fact that you have a dream to pursue! They may wrestle with the thought that you simply aren’t called to do the same things for years and years and years on end.
2-Don’t let money be the deciding factor. Sometimes God wants us to take a leap of faith into the unknown so we learn to trust Him. He is our Father and closest friend. He is FOR us and will guide us and direct our footsteps as long as we are truly seeking His guidance and direction
3-Celebrate! Throw yourself a kickoff party or blast your newest endeavor on social media! You will see your positive peeps come to the forefront and support you. They may even want to join you or you may inspire THEM to get out of their boat to chase after the thing God has for them!
We have one life to live on this earth and that is a short one at that. God has dreams and plans for you that will not only affect you but those around you. it’s a GOOD plan and it’s meant to make you trust Him with your life. He loves you and wants each and every day to matter. Never ever stay stagnant in fear of change. Instead, GO WITH GOD!
