Moving On

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3: 16-17

It is difficult to move on. Often we’re taught that it’s shameful to abandon something or someone. It seems that many of us have been taught that if we just hang on – pray a little harder, have faith the size of a grain of mustard – we will have success, peace and happiness beyond our wildest dreams.

But sometimes, God calls us to let go and move on. Sometimes the faithful and courageous path is to move on. Moving on may mean leaving a job or career that is no longer right for us. It may mean moving on to new community, city or country. Moving on may mean recovery from a major loss in our life. It may also mean moving away from habits or relationships that are not healthy.

In his book Faith In The Game, Tom Osborne writes, “According to the Bible, the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation. Abuse, alcoholism, and promiscuous behavior tend to be cyclical and self-perpetuating. An effective mentor is one who breaks the negative cycle and encourages choices that lead to a more productive life.”

In the cycle of life, we often see parallels between death and birth. A seed must die before it can sprout. Christ died to give us eternal life. Moving on is another way we experience both death and rebirth. It is vitally important that we spend time prayerfully considering our next move and listening for the Spirit’s voice to guide us in the direction God desires. This direction will not always be logical to those around us and it may very well be painful for some relationships in our lives. However, if we are faithful to God’s call and move on in the spirit of love, we may be surprised to find peace and strength where we did not expect it.

Holy Spirit, strengthen us in the way we should go so that we may find God’s true will for our lives and be healed. Amen.

Written by Denise Mainquist