Trusting God in Seasons of Transition and Change
Transitioning into a new season can bring a rush of emotions. It can bring excitement and joy over the coming of a long-awaited hope, or it can usher in uncertainty and a longing to stay put just a little while longer in the face of the unexpected.
I recently moved to a new state—away from my family and everything familiar. I had been searching for somewhere new to live for a while, and I saw God’s hand navigate toward this change in a way that finally gave me peace that it was time to go. I love the new place I’m in, but God has used this move for more than just a change of scenery.
Our incoming seasons may look different, but regardless transitions can produce both sweet memories to cherish and stressful situations to navigate. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to stay focused on God throughout the journey.
Before You Go
There’s a lot to think about when we are preparing for something new. Depending on the change, those thoughts may vary between: Is the next step truly here? What am I excited for? What am I anxious about? How will I handle the things that I’ve never done before?
In the rush of it all, it can be easy to shift your focus away from the present moment. That’s not always bad, as preparation is needed, but the current season isn’t over yet. What last few moments are still left to treasure and steward well?
As the list of things to do grows, focus time where it’s needed most. In my case, I knew I wouldn’t be able to see my family regularly anymore. So, some nights I would postpone packing to go on another walk with my brother or listen to him talk about whatever was on his mind. It didn’t hurt to stay up a little later packing boxes, and now I have those few extra memories to smile about.
Transition is a good time to thank those who have helped you through that season, giving honor where it’s due, like Paul talks about in Romans 13:7. It’s also a good time to inventory what you’ve learned. Is there anything you want to do differently in your new season?
If this is an exciting change for you, soak in those moments of joy and thank God for all he is doing. If moments of worry about the unknowns and uncertainty start to creep in, take them to God and lay them at his feet. He already knows your new season, and he is going to help you through it.
“Is there anything you want to do differently in your new season? ”
During the Transition
Anytime we do something new, there are bound to be moments when we feel nervous, awkward, or stressed. If you find yourself feeling that way, take a deep breath! You’re not alone. You’re just working through transition.
During those times, you may be more on edge or more critical of yourself and others. I’d encourage you to stay grounded on the truths in Scripture, and make every effort to have your default response be grace (Col. 3:12-17, 4:6; Rom. 12:18; Eph. 4:2, 32).
Don’t be afraid to let people into the messy side of things either. That can be a hard thing to do, but you’ll get through transition stronger if you work through it with believers around you.
This may be your first time walking through your new season, but God goes before you. You may expect yourself to transition perfectly, but he doesn’t. When you bring the things you aren’t sure about to God, he will help you.
One thing that has helped me in this area is writing down Scripture verses. I have a handful of them written on sticky notes above my kitchen sink as daily reminders, such as:
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isa. 55:12).
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom. 15:13).
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:23-24).
Additional verses: Zeph. 3:17; Prov. 3:5-6; Ps. 86:15; John 1:3-5, 14; Isa. 26:3-4; 2 Chron. 20:6, 12, 20-22
In the moments where your emotions are unsure about the days ahead, meditate on Scripture to hold on to what’s true. Your emotions will change, but God’s truth, his love for you, and his faithfulness to help you through every situation will never change.
“There’s a deeper level of intimacy that comes with pressing in and trusting God with each step we take.”
Settling In
What a sweet relief it is when a new “normal” starts to form! Maybe you have fewer moments of feeling like a fish out of water, or maybe they still come but you’re learning to roll with them better. (For those of you reluctantly identifying with the latter, I’m right there with you.)
Whatever settling in looks like for you, keep surrendering your new season to God. Maybe this season is what you expect it to be, or maybe there’s something more that God plans to do through this change and through your obedience.
Remember, there’s more to life than just settling into a new normal. There’s a deeper level of intimacy that comes with pressing in and trusting God with each step we take. Instead of despising small steps and small beginnings, choose to rejoice through them (Zech. 4:10).
Worshiping Through the Journey
I heard a pastor say recently that the devoted servant looks to the master (God) instead of the service, and out of that focus on God comes worship regardless of the circumstances. Don’t be discouraged when there is work still left to do on the other side of your transition. Joshua 14-15 shows us that even the Israelites still had battles to win after entering their Promised Land. Through it all, God teaches us to keep our eyes on him as he makes our paths straight.
So, here we are invited to lean in and surrender, learning to lay more and more of ourselves down to trust God in both the areas we’re excited about and the ones where we are still weak. That can be uncomfortable, but being humbled before God is a precious place to be.
Keep bringing everything to God in prayer. Seek to go deeper. If your new season does start to get comfortable, challenge yourself to go past the status quo. Friends, we have such an incredible opportunity to get to learn how to walk with God through all he has planned and in every place where he leads us.
Ask God how your current season is intended to glorify him. May we find joy in the chance to live life humbled before him, resting under his care every step of the way.
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