HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF WHEN GOD REDIRECTS YOU!

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

What do you do when God redirects you? A plan for your life is essential, but sometimes our and God’s plans can contradict. Plans get sidetracked, and sometimes the answers to our prayers can come in His redirection. What, then do you do? God will redirect you at some point in life, and it is essential that you know how to respond to His redirection. But even before you can embrace His redirection, you must know who He is and His character so that you can learn to lean into His ways and redirection. God’s redirection is always a blessing in disguise and we can miss it because of our rigidity.

First Name

Email address:

I have read and agree to the terms & conditions

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

When God gave Joseph a dream that showed him he would have his brothers bow to him. Joseph did not know that the journey would take him 13 years. And that he would first have to be sold into slavery. And be imprisoned before he could be second in command in Egypt. God shifted Him by redirecting him down an uncomfortable path. Often when God redirects you, it will not be pretty, but in the end, His redirection will lead you to beautiful destinations.

• Why does God redirect you?
  • To get you to deal with unresolved issues.
  • For protection
  • To get you to get back on track.
• What does it look like when God redirects you? Signs that God is redirecting you.
• Unfortunately, it does not always look pretty when God redirects you.
• What to do when God redirects you.
• Summary

⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife named Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. ⁴⁶ He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. Genesis 41: 45-46

We all go through stages in life where we think our lives would go a certain way. But then it takes an unexpected turn. And sometimes, reconciling what is and what could have been can get us stuck in a season longer than God intended. Has this been your story? Has God redirected you and taken you down a path contrary to where you thought you would be? Maybe you thought you would be further along by now. Yet it seems like you have moved backward. What do you do when God’s redirection is upon you?

Why does God redirect you?

To get you to deal with unresolved issues.

When God redirects you, maybe He wants you to deal with situations you had swept under the rug. God can take you back to a place you thought you had left behind to get you to deal with unresolved issues. Sometimes it could mean going back home because you currently cannot afford to live alone. And the whole situation can cause one to feel inadequate and left behind to some extent. Feeling left behind is something that not only leads to depression but can also lead to low self-esteem.

But you mustn’t allow these feelings to take root in your heart. They are facts, and we know facts change. So when God takes you back to deal with unresolved issues, don’t let lack of progress deter you. In the real sense, you are progressing, although it might not feel like it.

Or maybe God wants you to reconcile and build a better relationship with someone. After Jacob had lived with Laban for over 14 years, God told him it was time to return home. The back story was that Jacob left because he was running away from his brother Esau. Esau wanted to kill him because Jacob had schemed his way into getting Esau’s blessing. This angered Esau to the point he tried to kill his brother. So you can imagine what Jacob must have been feeling. Here was God asking him to confront something that he thought he never would. He did not want to face his brother.

After all, how do you confront something that reminds you of your past mistake? Maybe you had a wild past. And although you have changed, maybe your history is holding you captive. And if this is the case, God may have you go back so that you can confront it. There are moments when God will have you go back so that you can move forward.

If your past is holding you back, God will have you go back to an uncomfortable place so that you can deal with those unresolved issues and be free. Jesus came so that you and I could be free. But for us to access freedom, action will be required on our part. It could be as simple as going back like Jacob. Could it be that you are where you are because there is something that God wants you to deal with? Confrontation is the key to freedom.

Can you imagine the fear and worry that Jacob must have felt when he started his journey back home? Mind you; it’s not like he was comfortable where he was, anyway. Laban had also mistreated him one way or another by tricking him into marrying Leah, yet he wanted Rachel. Then by failing to give him the wages he deserved. Jacob was between a rock and a hard place, so he resolved to go back home. God will allow you to become uncomfortable where you are to get you to move where He wants you to. I don’t think Jacob would have agreed to return home if Laban had treated him well. Anyway, back to the story.

While he was on his way, some messengers informed him that Esau was on his way to meet him, and he had 400 men with him. This scared Jacob, and he divided his wealth and kids by spacing them. His doing this so that should the ones ahead be killed, he would still have others left. We know that when Jacob met Esau, Esau did not want to kill him. Instead, he was so happy to meet him.

Now imagine if Jacob, out of fear, would have just stayed. He would have had that fear hanging over his head. He would have visited bound by fear, shame, and guilt over his past mistake. And God wants you to be free the same way He wanted to see Jacob set free. God will sometimes get us back to a place where we were before. This is to contact us to resolve our issue. And also sets us free from the worries and fears we could harbor.

Is there an environment that God is asking you to go back to? Are there situations God is asking you to confront that you had laid aside? God wants to see you made free. So maybe it’s time for you to stop procrastinating and do the thing that He is asking you to. It’s not like you will do it alone. He is with you, which means He will strengthen you for it.

For protection

GOD told Joseph to go to Egypt to save the life of Jesus. God can sometimes send us to a different place. This is so He can protect us from harm because He knows the end from the beginning and can see the dangers and damage that we can. God’s protection can be found in His redirection. And although sometimes His redirection does not feel good, we should learn to trust Him. His leading is perfect, and He will always look out for us because we are His children. GOD knew Jacob would not prosper as much as God wanted if he stayed with Laban. Therefore, God told him to leave.

In the Bible, it says that God will not let you be tested more than you can be. And as His way of protection, God can redirect your steps because He knows you will fall along the way if you stay on the path you are on. Have you ever experienced this? Have there been times wherein hindsight, you saw God’s protection through His redirection? You can leave it in the comment section below. I would love to hear it.

When God redirects you for protection, it will not feel like it initially. It will not only be uncomfortable but also require you to get out of your comfort zone. Joseph had to move to a place that he was unfamiliar with. The same place God sent him was the same one God had delivered his ancestors from years ago. I want to encourage you to lean into what God is doing in your life when God redirects you. He might take you to a place that broke you to protect you from the worst.

And as long as He is the one redirecting you, I want to encourage you to press in. You need to realize that God will not cause pain if it does not bring out the best in you. He is a loving father who wants the best for you. He will not waste your pain and discomfort . It might be uncomfortable for a while. But when you hold on, you will get to the other side. And it will all make sense why you had to go through that painful situation. When God redirects you to an unfamiliar place, ask Him for discernment to see what He is doing amid the confusion.

Read also: 8 PRACTICAL KEYS TO HELP YOU GAIN CLARITY

To get you to get back on track.

There are times after losing your way; God can redirect you. An example would be when you were progressing in a career field that God had not called you to. He might allow you to get fired so that after retracing your steps, you can do what He called you to. God wants you to live a fulfilled life, which comes from living for the purpose He created you for. You might be progressing in the field you are in, but you might not be fulfilled.

God, in His love, will get you to wake up and focus on the thing that matters, which is your purpose. You could even feel the desire to quit and do something different. Either way, when you question where your life is at the moment and desire change, it could signify that God is redirecting you.

Sometimes, maybe God wants you to put on hold the career you are pursuing so that you can embrace something new, knowing He will give it back to you. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham did not want to do i. But he knew he had t. God knew He would not let Isaac die, but it was a test to get Abraham to confront an idol in his life. And in his obedience to doing what God wanted, he got his son back. God might bring you back to that career in the future. For now, however, do what He wants you to d. And do it with excellence.

Other times God can ask you to pick something back up that you had let go of because He wants you to try again. And in doing so, He is trying to show you that it will be different this time.

Some places can limit your growth and your potential and so God can have you leave a specific place or job or even relationship because He has more for you.

RADIANTLY RESURGING

What does it look like when God redirects you? Signs that God is redirecting you.

Unfortunately, it does not always look pretty when God redirects you.

• The loss of a job or career can sometimes be God’s redirection. Maybe God had been nudging you to leave the job, and you failed to listen. So to get you to leave that job, He can allow you to get fired because this will push you out. God tells us that His ways are higher than our way. We can never understand what God is doing until we get to the other side, and that’s when everything will make sense. Losing a job could lead you to start a business that will get you to utilize the skills that God has placed in you, causing you to walk in your purpose. There have been many success stories of people who started their businesses after layoffs and succeeded in them.
• The end of a friendship and relationship can also be God’s redirection. Maybe God has a path for you that the people around you will not understand. And because they do not understand it, they can hinder you from moving forward, preventing you from walking into your purpose, maybe through their discouragement. And because of that, God can remove them from your life so that you can step into your purpose. Whatever the case, maybe they could hinder you from doing God’s will, and thus, God can remove them from your life. The relationship can end unexpectedly. When this happens, God is trying to get your attention by telling you He has something different for you. It will be painful. But one thing you should always remember is THAT God will never allow you to go through pain unless there is a purpose in pain.
• Sometimes the desire and passion you had for a thing can just fade off, and no matter how much you try, you cannot seem to get it back. Sometimes when this happens, maybe God has something different for you, and if you heed His leading, you will find the path He has for you. Maybe your current career does not excite you anymore, no matter what you do. Could it be that God is redirecting you to an even greater purpose?
• Other times, a desire you had can spring up and have you want to try again. This is also something God can do. He had Moses go back to delivering the Israelites. This was something Moses had let go of because it had not worked out in the past.
• Rejection is also a sign of God’s redirection. When you get rejected at a job, you had desired or you experience rejection with friends or a partner, it can also be a sign of God’s redirection. You see, God could have them reject you because He has something better for you. And He knows if you stay in that career, relationship, or friend group, you will not get to where you are supposed to be. God cares about you so much that He will allow temporary pain if it will lead to your ultimate fulfillment. Today, I want to encourage you to view rejection as God’s redirection and realize that it is His redirection.

What to do when God redirects you.

• Be flexible. God can lead you through different ways to get to your purpose, and if you only stay in one place you could miss out on all the opportunities He has for you. God works with those who are obedient and sold out to Him. He never gives you the big picture, but only tells you what you need to know right now. No wonder He tells us not to worry about tomorrow but focus on today because tomorrow has its own problem. Flexibility means that you can move at a moment’s notice when God tells you to. Being flexible also means that you should be open to trying out something new if God is leading you to. One way to do this is to ensure that you take all the limits off because God will always challenge your beliefs, especially in His redirection. When God redirects you, He requires that you are open enough to move in the ways He will lead you. His ways will be unorthodox and sometimes uncomfortable.
• Be sensitive. We should be sensitive to God’s voice because we can miss out on what He is telling us when we are not keen. For you to be sensitive, you need to know God’s voice, and that can only be cultivated through prayer and studying His word. The more time you spend with God, the more you will know when He is talking to you. You can never know if God’s redirecting you unless you actually are sensitive and discerning. Some situations could look like God’s redirection when, in fact, it is just warfare. So you need to be discerned to know where God is taking you.
• Willingness. Are you willing to have God redirect you anytime He wants to or will you always hesitate? God wants you to say yes when He gives you a task. He is looking for those who will surrender to Him fully. There will be times when God will ask you to step out of your comfort zone and this will require you to lay aside your discomfort and be willing to do what He is asking of you.
• Trust God. It’s difficult to embrace God’s redirection when you don’t trust Him. One way you can learn to trust God is by reading the Bible. The word of God shows God’s track record. And it is by reading the word that you can see what God did for others that will help you trust what He is doing in your life no. That He did it before will show you He will do it again because He is no respecter of person. If He did it for others, He would do it for you, too, because He loves you so much, and you are His beloved child.

Summary

God has a plan for you, and that will never change. But just because you already know your purpose does not mean that He will not redirect you. On his way to face Ceasar, God redirected Paul to Malta because there was a man there who needed healing. God redirected Paul through a storm that wrecked their boat and caused them to end up in Malta.

• EMBRACE THE NEW PATH: LET GO OF THE OLD.
• 2 REASONS YOU ARE RUNNING AWAY FROM SOMETHING.
• 3 WAYS TO CONFRONT THE ISSUES YOU ARE DEALING WITH
• YOU CAN NOT EARN GOD’S LOVE WITH YOUR GOOD WORKS.
• 4 Unique Characteristics of God’s Redirection

God will redirect you in unexpected ways and He wants you to be able to see where He is taking you through the confusion. When God redirects you, He wants you to say yes because He has something better. Are you willing to allow God’s redirection? In what other ways has God redirected you? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Until next time, stay blessed!