3 UNIQUE KEYS FOR WHEN GOD IS SHIFTING YOU!

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

What do you do when God is shifting you? Have you been experiencing shifts in your life? Do you feel like your ground has been shaking, causing you to lose your balance? Sometimes in our life when God shifts us from one season to the next and as He is doing that, we experience some shakings to get us to shift. It is very easy to become complacent and comfortable, but God always wants us to move from glory to glory and thus He will always shake us to get our attention. The shaking does not have to be severe or even bad.

Sometimes, it could just be God giving you promotions, like a promotion at work, finances, or even in your season. Obviously, elevation in any area of your life is a good thing, but sometimes it can be overwhelming too. Because after all, new level new giants. Other times, the shifts and redirection can be spiritual or mental. When God is shifting you, you experience a stretching that gets you out of your comfort zone.

These are some things you experience when God is shifting you.

• When everything around you feels unfamiliar. This can happen in the sense that the same things that brought you joy no longer do and you find yourself desiring something new. So let us say you have had a certain career for years and for as long as you can remember it had been bringing you joy. And then suddenly you can’t seem to enjoy your work and tasks that you used to do effortlessly now almost seem boring. Or maybe you just feel stuck and realize that you do need a shift. Whatever the case, this could be a sign that God is shifting you to new levels and atmospheres.
• Another way to know that you are experiencing a shift is when new desires build up inside you. Desires and goals that you never thought of in the past suddenly rise within you and God deposits new passions inside you. Sometimes maybe you just feel stuck in whatever you are doing like maybe if you are a writer you experience a fog that you cannot seem to shake off. This could also be a sign that you are in a shift and God wants to take you to a new level.
• Do you feel uncomfortable where you are? Does it suddenly feel like the place that once brought you joy is now bringing you frustration? Or maybe the systems and strategies that used to work in the past now don’t seem to work.
• Sometimes the shift could be literal, like maybe moving to a new place because you have gotten a new job or because of school too. Either way, that is also a way that God can use to shift you.
• There are moments where the shift is spiritual. You might find yourself desiring to grow deeper in your faith. You might even want to pray more or get a deeper understanding of God. When this happens it could be a sign that God is shifting you to a new season.

Read also: How to know when God is asking you to move.

How then can you rightly position yourself when God is shifting you?

Discernment

HOSEA 4: 6, My people perish for lack of knowledge…

The first step is always discerning that you are experiencing a shift. This is because unless you know that God is shifting you, you can easily miss out on God leading out of ignorance. Or you could misunderstand your current season. God is always moving. And when we lack the sensitivity to the direction, He is moving we are often left behind.

It took the Israelites 40 years to realize that God was shifting them to new levels where they would no longer be slaves but have authority. In their grumbling and complaining, they missed the new thing that God was doing. They were so focused on where they had been that they could not see the new that God was doing.

Can you relate? Have you been in a season that feels uncomfortable and you now miss the good old days? Have you been so focused on the seemingly good thing you experienced that you have forgotten the bad? Let me ask you this: if it was the best for you, why then would God shift you? Don’t you think He has better? God is always taking us from glory to glory. So whenever you find yourself in a new season that feels uncomfortable, recognize that God wants to take you higher. He can only do so when you embrace what He is doing and allow Him to lead you.

We obviously know that shifts are uncomfortable as they involve change. But we should not allow the fear of change to keep us in seasons longer than we ought to. It is okay to be scared, but sometimes you have to do it scared. Jesus was uncomfortable facing the cross. He even cried out to God to take the cup away from Him. But although He was not ready to do it, HE did it anyway. He knew that it was time for the world to move into a new era.

He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.
Luke 22:41‭-‬44 MSG

The labor pains of what you are birthing are uncomfortable. But if you hold on, you will get to the other side. One of the amazing things about saying yes to God is that He will redeem whatever you lose. Whether it is your resources, time, energy, or joy. God will restore it all. But before He can, there be seasons of pain and it will require you to say yes. Even when it hurts so that you can experience the glorious life on the other side of your yes.

All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Romans 8:22‭-‬25 MSG

Have you, just like the Israelites allowed yourself to stay stuck in a season because you complain? It is not late for you to repent and ask God for His forgiveness. He says that He will never reject anyone who comes to Him with a contrite spirit. So just tell Him that you repent for failing to see the new thing that He is doing because it is uncomfortable. You don’t have to stay stuck in a season forever.

Allow God to take you where He wants to take you. It is time for you to experience the new season He has for you. When you are afraid, always remember that God’s plan for you is good because He is a good God. He will never allow pain unless He has something good on the other side of your pain. After all, He says that He will restore the years that the locusts have stolen. And He also says that your latter glory will always be greater than your former glory.

How to increase your sensitivity and discernment

1. The first thing you need to do is to have a relationship with God. It is God’s sheep that know His voice and hear Him. If you want to know what God is saying, you need to know Him personally. And this is possible through the finished work of the cross. When you believe that Jesus is Lord and you confess with your mouth, you will be saved. Salvation comes through Jesus. And through Him, you become a child of God and are able to commune with Him.
2. The second thing is to read the Bible. It takes the intentionality of knowing who God is to grow in your sensitivity. You can only recognize God’s voice when you spend time with Him. Reading the Bible is the place to start. Get to know who He is and His nature. As you do that, you will become aware of His voice. This will help you know when and how He is leading you.
3. Have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you have been reading my blog for a while, then you know I talk about the Holy Spirit a lot. And this is because Jesus sent Him to help you and me. As you spend time with Him communing with Him, you discover that He will guide you on the path you should follow and you can never miss out on God’s will for you. The Holy Spirit will even inform you when there is a shift on the horizon.
4. Practicing stillness and silence. Stillness comes from quieting the soul, while silence comes from silencing the external environment. Noise will prevent you from hearing God speak. And when you don’t practice silence, you could miss out on God when He is informing you of a shift. God speaks in a still, small voice. Therefore, for you to hear Him, you need to be both still and silent to hear Him. One way you can do this is by spending time alone and intentionally silencing the world. As you practice doing that, you discover that you can hear Him even when He speaks to your spirit. Learn to enjoy your own company sometimes because that is where God speaks the most.

Know the role that you need to play

The Israelites while in the wilderness had only one task, and that was believing in God. They also allowed Him to transform their way of thinking. This helped equip them to handle their new season. In the shifting, God usually is doing work in you and me behind the scenes. But even then there is a part that we need to play. This will help us transition successfully to the next level.

What role is God asking you to play in your shift? Does He want you to learn a new skill? Rest in His presence so that He can give you divine instructions for your next phase. Does He want you to transition to something new and completely give up what you are currently doing? Or maybe He just wants you to get rid of your old mindset and take on the one He has given you. Could it be that He wants you to let go of some acquired character that is holding you back? Whatever it is, you have to know the role you are to play and actually put in the work and do it.

Unfortunately, we can get stuck in the transitional period during a shift because of our disobedience to what God has asked us to do. So again, now that you have figured out what you need to do now go ahead and do it so that you can rightly position yourself for the shift.

The role God is asking you to play might be as simple as being still and waiting on Him. He could want you to partner with Him through prayer. Discernment and sensitivity are what will help you know what God is asking of you.

Give God your yes.

Sometimes what holds us back is our failure to partner with God when He is moving us. God tells us to trust Him and realize and believe that the plans He has for us are always good and always have an expected end. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for us to believe in Him. The reason could be past disappointments, fear of failure, or even fear of change. Either way, the only way God will move on our behalf is when we give Him our yes. Do not be afraid to partner with God. He wants you to know that you can trust that where He is leading you is for your benefit and that He will never lead you astray. God wants to ordain your steps but only if you will let Him.

Abraham, because of his yes to God, became the father of many nations and a friend of God. Moses, because of saying yes to God, became the deliverer of the Israelites and a friend of God. David became known as one after God’s heart. From these 3, you can see that God will never take your yes for granted. God will exceed your expectations. If only you would give Him your yes.

What is God asking you to say yes to? You know, God wants to walk with you every step of the way. And not only that, He has a beautiful journey on the horizon for you. So give Him your yes and trust that He will never lead you down the wrong path. His love for you is great and His plans for your life are grand. Don’t be afraid.

Conclusion

When God is shifting us to new grounds, He will first shake the ground we are on so that He can launch us to the next one. Just like the Israelites, God does not want us to be tempted to go back and so He will get us so uncomfortable that the only move we will want is forward. So do not fear if this is happening to you. Know that God is doing something new in your life and He wants you to partner with Him so that you can see His perfect will materialize in your life.

In the shaking, we need to trust that God is on our side and He will never leave us nor forsake us. His plans are always good and His will is perfect.

• Don’t Worry, You Are Next.
• WHEN GOD SEEMS TO BE DELAYING!
• WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN GOD CHALLENGES YOUR BELIEFS?
• THE CHARACTER TO EMBODY IN THE WAITING!
• THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE.

It doesn’t matter if you are scared or not, God is asking you to trust Him today. Don’t forget to tell Him what you are feeling. Be vulnerable with Him. It is okay to admit to God that you are scared. He gets it. If Jesus, who is the Son of God, was afraid of facing the cross, what makes you think you wouldn’t? The reason you are scared is that where you are headed is unknown and unfamiliar. And that’s okay. Maybe God wants you to let go of control and trust his leading. Either way, it is time for you to allow God to shift you so that you can go to greater heights.