9 Ways Our Faith Helps Seasons of Change Go Smoothly
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After a really rough season, many of us have the overwhelming need for a fresh start. Our minds fill with all sorts of symbolism to go along with this—a clean page in a notebook. Freshly sharpened pencils. The next chapter in a book.
Yet in spite of our desire for a restart, sometimes we don’t know where to begin. Reality can set in quickly. The memories and pain of past attempts or past hurts come flooding back, and we often find ourselves saddled with baggage that’s incredibly hard to shed.
Whether you are newly single or widowed, starting a different job or school, or embarking on a weight-loss or fitness program, there are a number of tips rooted in Scripture that can make our journey easier.
Here are some:
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1. Flip the Switch in Your Mind
The first step of any new venture is getting mentally prepared. You must be willing to let go of the old and grab onto the new. A favorite Bible verse for many people is 2 Corinthians 5:17, where the apostle Paul reminds us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Often, making the heartfelt determination to let the old go can be the most important and significant step. We have to remember that the old rules no longer apply. This thing, whatever “it” is, is brand new. Mentally wrapping our minds around this is an important way to shift perspective.
2. Reset Your Heart
A lot of times we hang on to hurts and pains. The trouble when it comes to fresh starts is that we unintentionally allow these same hurts to spoil the good of something new. For example, if you were in a rotten relationship with someone and that relationship ended, and now you’ve met the person of your dreams. If you are still encumbered with the old emotional turmoil, you might expect this new person to treat you the same way the other one did.
Don’t dwell on the past. Give yourself permission to reset your heart, to allow your heart to open anew. Meditate on Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
3. Try New Things
A new start can also bring opportunities to discover something new about yourself. If you’ve started a new school and have always been the academic type, maybe you’ve always wondered what it was like to be sporty. A fresh start could give you the opportunity to try some things you never had time for, or perhaps never allowed yourself to try before. This doesn’t mean doing a personality about-face, but it does been giving yourself permission to expand some of your interests.
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4. Release Some Creativity
New starts can be hard, but they can also be a wonderful time for expansion of the mind, heart, and soul. Often this is expressed creatively. You might not be a painter, but as you go through a new experience, you might find yourself doodling or charting journal notes. Let that happen—seize onto some of that creative release. If you notice you are doodling, take some time later in the day to sketch out some of your ideas or even paint a picture. Maybe a few random journal notes can turn into reflective essay.
Creativity can be a sign that you are experiencing rapid personal growth, so be open to that transformation. Don’t hold back. As Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
5. Make Friends
You might find yourself meeting new people in your new situation. Be open to that, for God often brings people into our lives for a specific purpose. Perhaps God is bringing someone into your life who is going to help you grow in a certain area, or perhaps God is putting you in that person’s path so you can help them. Whatever it is, accept and welcome this change in your spirit. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” It doesn’t mean you need to relinquish the old, but it does mean allowing your heart to expand to make room for more.
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6. Prioritize Self-Care
Any new beginning can be mentally and physically taxing. Even the most wonderful situation requires more energy, more thought, and more feeling because it is different. So try your best to be sure you are getting enough sleep at night. Leave a little early to give yourself extra time so you don’t feel stressed—and so you have enough flexibility to stop and breathe or smell the proverbial flowers. Eat nutritious foods, and if possible try to squeeze in time for stretching or other exercise in your day. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us to honor God in our bodies. That doesn’t only mean our actions and behaviors, but the way we treat ourselves.
7. Stay Organized
Being organized in your thoughts and behaviors can help you as you embark on this new journey. Keeping a to-do list or a mental grasp on what you plan to do that day can steer you well. This doesn’t mean your plans should be more important than God’s plans in any given day, but approaching life with simplicity, order, and organization often helps crystallize your direction.
As 1 Corinthians 14:40 advises, embrace the process and the plan: “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” Order, self-discipline, and steady application can bring much merit when it comes to new things.
8. Baby Steps
Remember this change doesn’t mean everything in your life has to change. Small measures can make a big impact. If you are starting a new job, give yourself grace to learn how to do everything. If you’re starting a new exercise program, go easy. If you missed a day, don’t beat yourself up. Understand that you are human, and things sometimes happen slowly. Psalm 37:7 reminds us to have patience.
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9. Rest in God
The pace of change can feel dizzying. Hold onto the One who holds the stars and the sun in the midst of it all. God is the creator of the universe, the “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). No matter what you go through, God is there and God is in charge. Even if this is the best change in the world and all your dreams are now coming true, this new season can be hard. It can make a huge difference to understand that no matter where life takes you, God is always right there beside you. God is eternal and unchanging. Remember that.
Change can be scary and wonderful, sometimes simultaneously. But the Bible promises us that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). His plans are to bring us a future and hope when we walk in His ways and turn our lives over to Him (Jeremiah 29:11).
So enjoy this exciting new adventure, whatever it brings. God’s purpose will show itself soon enough.
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