How To Position Yourself When God Asks You To Start Over.
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Early today I had a beautiful blog I wanted to publish. And just when I was done, something happened to the document and, for some reason, it just disappeared. I tried to recover it but my efforts bore no fruit. And I had an option: was I going to give up entirely on posting today or was I going to write anyway? I was tempted to rewrite the blog again when a thought crossed my mind. Why not write something related to what I had just experienced? And that’s why I decided to write about when God asks you to start over. Now, obviously, this is just a minor example compared to some situations that you might have experienced. But the concept I want to relay will cut across all situations.
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Has God ever asked you to start over? It might be starting over from a career that you loved so much. It could even be starting over in a new country entirely. Has this ever happened to you? Maybe you are going through something like this where God is asking you to start over and yet you had invested so much in your current life. What do you do? How do you position yourself? Today I want us to talk about this. And to do this, I want us to look at Elisha.
The Call of Elisha
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha, son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yokes of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
In this scripture, we see Elisha had built a life for himself when Elijah called him. In the previous chapter, we see God giving Elijah the instruction that he was to anoint Elisha to take over him. Now, from scripture, we don’t see God informing Elisha beforehand that he would succeed Elijah. Elisha woke up like every other morning not knowing that his life was about to change.
He went along with his normal business until Elijah took his cloak and placed it on him as a sign of succession. Of course, Elisha had the decision to make. He could either choose to continue his life as he always had. Or he could take on the new instruction and learn from, Elijah. We see Elisha made the latter decision. And it is through his story that we will learn how to position ourselves when God asks us to start over.
How to position yourself when God asks you to start over.
Say yes when God asks you to start over
When God asks you to start over, your response should be to say yes. You see God would never get you out of the path you are on if He did not have better for you. That is why He says that your later glory will be better than your former glory. He has something exquisite for you on the other side of your obedience. You will never know what it is if you never say yes to it.
When Abraham said yes to God, he became the father of many nations and He is the founder of the Jewish nation. Had he hesitated, he would never have experienced all the blessings God had bestowed upon him.
Saying yes could look like you resigning from that job God is asking you to. It could look like you moving to that country where you know no one. Can you imagine Ruth leaving Moab, a country where she had grown up to accompany her mother-in-law? Mind you, Naomi, her mother-in-law did not acknowledge her. We see in Ruth chapter 2 her saying that she left full, and she returned empty. Empty? She had Ruth. And yet Ruth went. When God asks you to start over your response would be yes. Saying yes to God comes with a reward. Of course, the reward will not be instant. However, in the end, you will receive a reward for your obedience. Jesus promised His disciples that they would receive a reward for saying yes to Him and following Him.
Don’t count the cost
Elisha did not count the cost that he had invested so much in his current life. The disciples did not count the cost of their lives. Abraham did not factor because he had invested so much where he was and that it was all he knew. Ruth did not count the cost as well. These examples show you that when God asks you to start over, you too should not count the cost.
You might grieve over your past life initially, especially when the going gets tough. But in those moments, I want to encourage you to lean on God. He will help you get over your past life and embrace this new life He has you on. Maybe this is something new to you or something new entirely. Still, embrace it and don’t count the cost.
One thing I want to assure you is that God will waste no season of your life. This means that even with the skills you learned in your past season, He will have you use them in your current and next seasons. Do you remember David? God used the skills David had learned to fight the bear and lion to give him victory over Goliath. And while the platform was different, the old skills still applied.
You might not understand how God will use the skills and experience He is asking you to leave behind. But when you are patient, you will see how He will work it all out together for your good.
Cut ties with your past life when God asks you to start over.
Elisha burned the yoke as a sign that he was fully giving up his old life to embrace the new. Your past should remain in your past. If you keep going back to your past, you will never move forward. Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt because she kept looking back to where God was taking her from. You will not physically become a pillar of salt. But when you keep looking back, you will not have the stamina to move forward.
A generation of the Israelites died in the wilderness instead of the promised land because they focused on what they ate in Egypt. Can you imagine that? They missed out on what God wanted them to experience because they kept asking to go back to Israel. Let me ask you this: why would God get you out if where you were was a good enough place?
That God is taking you out means it is not the best He has for you. Let’s say that God is asking you to let go of a certain relationship. And maybe you have been in that relationship for 4+ years. That He is asking you to start over means He has someone better for you. Maybe the person will not help you fulfill the calling God has over your life. It does not always mean the other person is bad or that you are unhappy. Obviously, it is easier to leave a place when it is not serving you. But when the place you are in looks like your best, it’s difficult to start over. Still, when God asks you to start over, it means you are not operating at your full potential.
Be teachable.
Being teachable means exercising the fruit of humility in your life. Child of God, are you teachable? Please realize that when God asks you to start over, He wants to take you on a journey. And this journey will require that you remain teachable and humble to receive correction and guidance from Him. Elisha was keen to listen to what Elijah told him. He served him and had a good relationship with his teacher. You too have the Holy Spirit as your teacher. You should be teachable and allow Him to guide you in your new journey.
Being teachable means letting go of the idea of how things should be. It means having an open mind and being flexible. Are you flexible? Can God ask you to change direction at a moment’s notice? Are you willing to let go of your ideologies and have Him teach you a new way of doing things? Esther was teachable, and that was why she was crowned queen.
We see that she willingly obeyed what Mordecai told her about her not revealing her ethnicity. We also see her following the eunuch’s instruction when he told her the presents to take to the King. Teachability is the secret to success in your new path. I would encourage you to read the book of Esther to see how teachable she was. She willingly went through the process of beautification. And that was why, when she was done, she gained favor with the king and others, and this led to her promotion.
Stay close to God.
When God is asking you to start over, you need to stay rooted in Him. The reason why Abraham was successful in his journey was that He remained close to God. In fact, the Bible tells us that God called him His friend. How cool was that? Remaining rooted in God looks like you spending time with God. Remember this, God is asking you to start over. And because of that, you will need instructions from Him on how to maneuver your new season. You cannot afford to stay apart from Him. Remember when Jesus was about to choose His twelve disciples, He prayed all night and through that He received instructions on who to choose. He had to choose those that will help spread the Gospel after He had gone back to heaven.
Your assignment is bigger than you. Therefore, you need discernment to navigate this season successfully. You could be the pioneer of a movement that helps save thousands of people globally. How will you build the right foundation for your purpose if you don’t spend time with God?
Staying close to God looks like you spending time in His word. As you spend time in His word, you get to learn who He is. And you will know to be sensitive to hearing Him speak and discern His voice when He speaks. Prayer is another way that will help you stay rooted in God. And remember prayer is communing with God. It is speaking to Him and also taking time to be still to hear from Him. Therefore stillness, silence and solitude are practices you should make a part of your lifestyle if you want to stay rooted in God as you start over. Praise and worship are also key parts of staying rooted in God.
Be a part of a community and seek Godly counsel when God is asking you to start over.
This is because they will help hold you accountable when you are tempted to quit. I believe one reason that Elisha held on and embraced the discomfort of starting over was that he had a godly mentor. Having a community to hold your hand will help you keep going. The journey will not be easy. And sometimes having people that can encourage you and pray for you will be essential in your journey. You might find that community in your church or online. Wherever the space is, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you choose the right people in your life. He will help you if you let Him.
When seeking godly counsel ensure that they align with the word of God. After all, you are following God so it would make sense for you to seek advice from people who are on the same journey.
Conclusion
When God asks you to start over, I want you to know it will not be easy. However, it will be worth it. God has something on the other side of your endurance that will exceed your wildest imagination. I want to encourage you to allow Him to lead you every step of the way. Embrace the discomfort of starting over and watch what He does. He will blow your mind. And remember, heaven is rooting for you. And if you ever want to reach out to someone who is on the same journey as you, you can do so at rresurging@radiantlyresurging.com
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Radiantly Resurging
Mercy is the author and founder of radiantly resurging. She is a Christian and having gone through the wilderness season, she decided to impart the knowledge learned to help others navigate their wilderness season too
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