Friends, one thing that God has been gently leading me to grow in this season is the ability of letting go.
I know this season has been difficult for many of us, with plans being cancelled and re-arranged but I want you to know that God has a beautiful plan for each of us and it will be greater than we ever expected.
I don't know about you, I am a person who holds onto things, not just your typical hoarder of materialistic attire, but I always have tried to hold on to people too. I guess part of it is the unknown. I don't like giving things up because it makes me feel like I am completely losing what I have been able to hold onto for a long period of time.
But my friend, if you are currently feeling this way too or have done in the past. I want you to know that Jesus says it is okay. To feel those things, especially when they have been in your life for sometime. God, our wonderful father who is full of compassion knows that as His children we find it hard to let go, it is human nature to want to hold onto things. But the most important thing to only hold onto is Jesus.
God places many people in our life only for a season. I want you to know that you are not alone if you are scared of letting people go in your life. But, in order for us men and women to grow into who God has called us to be, we can't be dragging the same people into the next season, especially if God does not want them there. I assure you, there will be new people that God will place in your life. People who will guide you, encourage you, help you to grow and flourish in so many ways.
‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
Jeremiah 29:11
At my church there isn't a big young adults group, I am not in a home group and most of the people at my church are older than me. For sometime I have been wishing that I would have more friends around me or a bigger home group with people my age just like I did at university. But God has been teaching me that I have been missing out on the blessings of having a small number of friends around me. Having friends who are older than me has been such a blessing because they have become more than friends, they are family.
Their wisdom and life experience is helping me to become the woman of God, my creator wants me to be. You know they adore me and cheer me on every step of the way. I am so blessed to have these men and women by my side and I know that God has placed them in my life for a reason. For such a time as this. Therefore, He is doing the same for you.
“The LORD has made everything for its own purpose.”
Proverbs 16:4
God has a plan for your life. He has made you for a purpose. Just like the flowers and all of creation has a purpose. So do you. In order to do the things he has planned for us, he needs to take people out of our life and replace them with people who will encourage us in the new season.
I am not saying that if you are in a new season that God will take all your friends away because he won't. He will even place people in our life for more than one season, maybe even for all our life. But let's not lose hope and pray. In order to know who we need, we must ask God who He wants us to let go of. Hence, why it is so true that there is a season for everything.
‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.’
Ecclesiastes 3:2
I know that maybe one day, God will place me with different people, for a different season, but I know until then it is just as important to value those who He has placed in my life right now whether young or old. It is imperative to understand that letting go makes us grow. When friends leave our lives it does not mean God doesn't care about us, of course He does. He just knows who is best for us for the things He has planned and loves you so much so He wants the right people surrounding us.
A thought that came into my head a few days ago is, we can't hold onto the past in order to proceed into the future. Want to know why?
By holding onto our past, we can't flourish or become the child of God we were born to be. Each day is a new day to step forward in our journey with Jesus. To step into the future that our heavenly father has planned specifically for us! No one else has had the exact same day as us. Remember that. We are each an original masterpiece of heaven.
‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’
Hebrews 12:1
We as children of God must understand that in order for us to grow we must let go of the people and many times our plans that God does not want in our life. We must trust Him that He will place other people and lead us to greater places that are enriched with His blessings. By allowing this to happen, we can run the race marked out for us because we know that the people who surround us are those we need for such a season. Lets not lose hope because our heavenly father always knows who and what is best for us!
From this, we don't always have people we need to let go of, sometimes its plans as well. With all my plans for Australia, it was hard to come to understand that I would not be there when I thought. However, this season has made me grow in all the uncertainty because I know I will get there when God wants me there. Everything will work out. It is also the same for your plans. God has beautiful blessings in store for you and you will flourish extravagantly.
You know currently I have a few close friends, some I have known for many years, others just for a short while. Many of them will always be close to me, however, I know and accept that maybe one day we will grow apart. As upsetting and worrying that is for me, I know that my father is our provider and He knows me best. He knows exactly who I need in my life to strengthen my relationship with Jesus, but not just that to help it to grow and flourish.
Let's be honest for a minute, recently I have realised that for sometime I have been holding onto someone for so long that I forgot I was doing so. I just want to let you know it is normal to not realise, until they have moved on themselves. It is important for your mental health to allow them to go their own way and to accept that you will not be as important to them as you were before. Hence, this does not mean you are invaluable because of course we all are! We are valuable children of God, we are shining lights for His glorious kingdom.
All I am trying to say is, don't do what I did and hold onto someone that clearly was not made to be in my future. Allow things to happen. Because the people who are meant to be in your life right now, will not leave you. If God wants them in your life, He will keep them there!
Let's remember God can use us in every season, but if we are holding onto the people or plans that are not for us yet, it makes it harder to step into the new plans God has for us.
In order for us to grow, we must let them go.
Please don’t let go of someone unless you have been prayerful. Ask God what He wants you to do and He will show you! He will never leave you nor forsake you and His plan is perfect for you.
God bless,
Much love,
Lois (Founder of The Art of Everyday blog.)
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