Is it YOUR time to Change? What's God saying?

Friday's Cup of Joe post was the most visited and shared post we have ever had. It's not hard to figure out why. People change. Situations change. Jobs change. And any time that there is change there is a great deal of discomfort. If we can laugh a little in the middle of the transitions we are going through, it doesn't make them easier, just a little more bearable. Cup of Joe has always been about encouragement. (Eph 4:12) So thanks for sipping on that one and sharing it. We'll keep it in the featured section so you can still get to it and continue to pass it on.

Today we will stay in the same arena and topic. Many months ago I was in a discussion with someone who was trying to determine how to move into the next season of their career. It was time for them to make a transition and they were like most folks...the hardest part of this type of change is the leaving and the letting go. Here’s a short excerpt from my story when I left the Christian music biz to transition into becoming the founding pastor of The Landing Community Church in 2002...

"When God tells you that its time to change
 jobs and you stay longer than 
you were supposed to, things may get very difficult
 before you leave. The longer you stay where you are
 not supposed to be the harder it will be to leave. I
 often wonder why He seems to move us when 
things are somewhat comfortable and going quite
 well right where we are. I don’t like to move. But I
 never want to stay anywhere longer than I am
 supposed to. I realized that when I first became restless in my job in the Christian music industry. If I
were honest with myself and with my hindsight
 being 20/20, I would have to say that the Lord was
 prompting me to make a change 5 years before I
 actually made the decision. Those final 5 years
 were not the most blessed, they were the most
 difficult. Perhaps because I stayed longer than I was
 supposed to? Maybe I stopped listening and started
 staying busy thinking about how to make the
 restlessness go away? Whatever, when it came time to
 leave I wanted to do so with a measure of grace and
 class. I never want to burn bridges because as they
 say, you may have to pass over them again later!
Don’t stir up a storm and animosity when it is time
 to go, just go."

If you are in a place of decision today about making a change in jobs or careers, I can honestly tell you that if you will pray and trust God, take baby steps forward, and pay attention to the way God is leading you, it can be the most exhilarating season in your life. Yes it will have challenges and the emotions will fly everywhere. But God is bigger than your troubles…God is bigger than you pains…and He wants to right there in the center of it. My encouragement today…let Him!