Why We Are Taking a Break...
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” -Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
It is often incredibly difficult to let the past seasons go and move into a new one. Sometimes we fear that if we let go, we will regret or miss what we leave behind. Many people, upon turning 30 or 40 or 50 or 60, squirm at the thought of leaving their previous decade behind. But the truth of the matter is that there are things in your 50’s that you could not obtain in your 40’s. And if you stay there (mentally attached to the past), you risk missing the current work God wants to do in this new season.
Leaving behind the old may be hard, but it is necessary if we are to enter into all that God has for us.
The above verse commands us to stop dwelling on the past and start looking at what God is currently doing. If we are so set on staying where we are and continuing in the current situation, we risk not perceiving the beautiful things God is doing right now. “Do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19). Well, you may not if you don’t let go of what is dead and surrender to the new season God has for you.
When I got married I had a revelation that I was no longer able to live a bachelor life and stay out late with my friends or play sports at dinnertime or any manner of other things that no longer fit with the current schedule of being a husband. For the longest time I felt bad because I was unable to give to my friends the time of day that I previously had until I realized this truth.
We never need to be ashamed of the season that God has us in. We will live with the most energy and enthusiasm when we fully embrace the calling, purpose, and role that God has for us today.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)
A season and a time…for everything.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said this. And, since that’s the case, it bears recognizing that one of the most important things we could ever do is recognize what season God has us in. What purpose does He has for us going forward, not looking back?
Every so often, God will prompt you to ask that question. It’s wise even, to slow down, quiet ourselves, and ask God if I am trying to walk in a season or timing that is outside of His. Perhaps it’s something that He at one time clearly led me to, and I thought that one word was forever, instead of seasonal.
Either way, we know for sure that humans have been labeled “creatures of habit.” For that very reason, we risk getting stuck in the same and missing the new all because we like the comfort of “normal” and the control that comes with “sameness.”
So what about you? What season does God have you in? Is He asking you to let go of something from a previous season, a previous disappointment, a previous person? God’s best for us does not lie in the past, but ahead (Jeremiah 29:11). And if we keep our minds in the past, it is only because we don’t believe that God has a better future ahead of us.
We don’t want to assume that we should keep doing the same things simply because we felt led to it before.
Even David after just winning in battle, refused to go up against the enemy in the same way or assume a victory just because it had happened already. Instead, he sought the LORD and God gave him a different battle plan for victory. If he had rushed ahead assuming that the same strategy would work, it could have been devastating (2 Samuel 5:19-25).
It’s for that reason that Korie and I are going to take a short break from our Perfect Match Coaching platform and Finding the One Friday emails so that we can slow down and give space for God to show us any changes He wants us to make. We want to fully hear the LORD about what season He has us in and any changes or shifts we should make. We would love it if you would pray for us in this time to hear God’s voice clearly. And, we plan on being offline so-to-speak for a few weeks and coming back in April. So don’t fret if you don’t hear from us!
May God give you clarity about the season, strategy, and purpose He has for you—not yesterday, but today.
God bless you,
Wes Raley