Don't Let Changes Get You Down!

Do you realize that God knows all about you and He has a wonderful plan for your life? He developed the plan even before you were born.   He knows exactly what activities you should participate in, where you should live and worship, and who should be in your life to fulfill every spiritual, emotional, or physical need.   Not only does He have a plan for your life, His Word also says that He will “perfect that which pertains to you.”  In other words, He will bring into reality the good things, the blessings, and the purpose for which He created you.  But, to get this accomplished it often requires significant change; change in attitude, change in activities, change in scenery, change in relationships, etc.  Change and transition are hard!  It means you have to leave the familiar behind and move into the unknown.  The most difficult are those times when God moves you into a new place that doesn’t include particular relationships; He requires you to leave these behind and go by yourself.  A situation will arise that you may not understand but it will bring about the separation and affect the change God will use to bring you to a new place in your relationship with Him.  At first, you may find yourself feeling somewhat lost, without purpose, wondering what God is doing.  You may experience an unprecedented degree of sadness as your spirit gives in to grief and the enemy tries to envelope you with loneliness.  Depression may try to take over your spirit and rob you of your joy.  Don’t allow yourself to stay in this place.  Jesus understands your pain but He has a greater purpose for your life that will bring greater fulfillment and blessing than you’ve ever experienced.  Get up and get moving.  Involve yourself in new activities.  Go places you haven’t been before.  Meet new people that God puts in your path.  Embrace the new things God wants to do in your life.   Break the chains of oppression and isolation.  Find some good praise music and be like David; shout to the Lord and dance before Him with all your might.  This will bring release from the pressure of the things that are weighing you down and rekindle the fires of joy in your heart.  Be encouraged!  Recognize the changes as new “opportunities” in your life.  Jesus says, “Come and follow me.”  This is the road that leads to fulfilling your destiny.  Yes, you will experience some bumps along the way; transitions that may require some activities, relationships, or comfortable places be left behind.  Look back at these and enjoy the wonderful memories but don’t allow them to paralyze you from moving into your future.  It may be forever or it may be the separation will only last for a season; to allow time for you to come into the fullness of what God wants for you.  He knows which relationships should continue, which ones need to be transitioned to a lesser degree of dependency, and those that were only intended to be part of your life for a specific season.  Either way, God knows what is best for your life and He has good things for you. Either way, what lies ahead of you is much greater than what lies behind.  As you travel this new road, making new friends, enjoying new activities, and growing in Him; embrace this new season in your life wholeheartedly and remember it is all because “Jesus Loves YOU!”