It's time for a fresh start! Sometimes you have to let go of old dreams to accomplish new ones. However, it is easier said than done. By nature, letting go of the old can be a difficult process in life. Let's face it; we like things to stay the same as we know them. We like being comfortable in our familiar ways, patterns, behaviors, thinking, and the way we relate to each other. If you are like most of us, you don't like change. However, change comes to all, whether we like it or not. I was young once, but now I am old. What happened? A change came to me, and I wasn't even looking for it. One thing I've learned about change, it comes when you least expect it. And when you are expecting it, it seems as if it doesn't come. Life is very peculiar, and once you think you have gotten it figured out, it changes you yet again. So what am I saying? I am saying don't get too comfortable with the life you have or the situation you are living. In due season, it will all changes. Just keep smiling and praising the Lord. He's got it all under control! You won't go under.
When the Apostle Peter stepped out of the boat in the Sea of Galilee to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus, he went from comfort, safety, and familiarity to uncertainty as it changed quickly. Jesus was his sure and constant certainty. His presence stabilized his fears of drowning in the sea, and Peter adjusted to the changes. Wow, that took faith, courage, and trust in the Lord. It was the type of response that caused sweat to roll off your forehead. When change comes, it forces us to get out of the boat and walk on water at the command of the Lord. Change is good when the direction of the Lord God brings it about.
Some of you are in this same dilemma, where God has allowed change to enter your life, and you are thinking and feeling like you will drown in the new changes. Let me encourage you; the Lord has not bought you this far to let you go under. You are on a new level in your walk with Christ. And for those in ministry, you, too, are in a new place. The old has passed, and now the new has come; embrace the new things, places, people, and ministry opportunities the Lord God has for you.
Did you know that living in Christ is about constant growth from one level to the next? Jesus asked the question by saying, "You wouldn't put new wine in an old wineskin, would you?" He said the old wineskin would burst open while the new wine was fermenting in the old wineskin.
The old wineskin has already stretched as far as it can stretch. It is now old and leathery and doesn't possess the elasticity it once had. Therefore, if you put new wine in an old wineskin, the fermentation of the new wine process would rip open the inflexible old skin, and the new wine would be lost as it spills to the ground. New wine would require a new wineskin. So as the fermenting of the new wine process in the new skin, the skin will expand as the wine ages without ripping the skin. The new wine matures as the new skin matures together. Ask the Lord to give you a new mind and renew the right spirit in you. Read Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:21-22 and Luke 5:33-39.
Like old and new wineskin, our hearts and minds are similar. To receive a new vision requires that you have a new mindset. It requires that we put off the old and put on the new vision. If we keep the same mindset, feelings, fears, or erroneous teachings, there will not be room for a new vision. If we do not ask for forgiveness of sins of the spirit and flesh, there will be no room for the new. It would only contaminate the new. The old would not allow the new to expand to its full maturity and purpose. That's why I say old things have passed and new ones have come because we shed away old things and allow new things to come into our lives.
How do you let go of the old? When do you know it's time to let go of old dreams? You let go when it not working anymore. You know when to let go when you see change enter your life you can't stop. Change disguises itself as a mistake, wrong done to you, persecution, suffering, or even blessings and honors. But when it comes, it launches you to the next level with the momentum to keep you there. There is no going back. And the desire to go back because of uncomfortable feelings will dissipate. Don't be afraid of your feelings; they will align with your faith in the Lord and the new changes. God has just given you a new normal.
What do you do? You keep moving forward. For sure, once we can accept that change is constant in the seasons of our lives, it is easier to embrace. And it becomes a reminder and comfort to us that no matter what we are going through, change will come again, and God is in the change! It is so much more comforting when we go through the changes of life with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a very present help in the time of need. Read Psalm 46:1. Let go of the old and embrace the new; it is not a sign of giving up. It signifies trusting the Lord and not leaning on your understanding. Embracing changes requires faith to see, a heart to believe, and the courage to act on what you believe. Step out of your boat. Let God give a new fresh vision and pour a new anointing into a new heart and renewed mind in Christ. It is time for a fresh start! It is time to let go of the old dreams, embrace the new ones, and move forward to accomplish them! Don't look back!