A Season of Transition

Transition- passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another ; a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another;  an abrupt change in energy state usually accompanied by loss or gain of a single quantum of energy.

How many of you reading this today are in a state of transition from one ministry to the next?  Maybe it was by choice and maybe it wasn’t, either way you find yourself in a season of transition and it’s unfamiliar territory.  What are you to do?  Where do you go from here?  What comes next?  These are the simple questions people generally have when they enter this season in ministry.  Many times it comes swiftly and we are left with no answers and other times it’s a planned change and you have all kinds of ideas of what comes next and yet you still feel lost.  In the beginning of transition from being in ministry to not being in “church” ministry is a hard place.

   This is a season that my husband and I are in right now, a place of transition, a place of change, a place of healing.  At first we both felt like we were in a whirlwind of confusion.  I won’t go into why we are in this place but I can say we know God was behind it.  The first few months we honestly didn’t know what end was up.  We felt lost. Our normal routine of preparing our messages and activities for our services no longer existed. It felt wrong to be relaxing on a Saturday afternoon when normally we would have been at church preparing.  Having no pressures or stress of getting the kids up and out of the house on Sunday morning to be at the church hours before services started wasn’t there and we truly felt lost. If you are in this place today, give yourself time to adjust. 

   Many times we are thrown into transition filled with hurts others have inflicted upon us for whatever reason.  Take this time to heal, rest and grow even closer to the Lord.  You may have entered into this season kicking and screaming or entered peacefully and excited about what God has in store.  Either way make time to rest!

  It has been a full year that we stepped down from the church we were pastor’s of and in this year I have learned some very valuable lessons that I hope will encourage you as you walk through this season as well.

#1 – REST, REST, REST!!!  Take this time to truly rest in the Lord. When we rest in the Lord He is faithful to refresh our lives and give us a renewed spirit and fight to get back out there and face whatever it is God has called you to do.  David even thanks the Lord for his time of rest here in Psalms 23:1-3,

      “You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.”

#2 – Find fellowship!  If you have stepped down from pastoring or another type of ministry and are unable to stay in the church you have been in you HAVE TO find another body of believers to fellowship with.  Satan wants to pull you away from anything to do with God.  Unfortunately many times our season of transition comes from sad events and we entered it filled with hurts.  Satan’s goal is to keep you secluded and alone. It is a priority for you to find a place you can worship, be ministered to and find healing.   The Lord will lead you to that place where you will find “streams of peaceful water and He will refresh your life!”

#3 – Be open to something new!  You may find yourself in this season for longer than you expected or even wanted.  Many times it’s our perspective of the situation that is clouding our judgment.  David says of the Lord, “You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.” Ps 23:3.  Just because you may not be in a “church” ministry does not mean that the Lord cannot use you.  I have seen many great men and women of God begin to question their call to ministry during a time of transition.  God has called all of us to be ministers of the gospel and like Jesus most of His ministry took place outside of the temple walls.  Just because you are not standing behind a pulpit preaching doesn’t mean you cannot be used by God!  God can and will use you in the workplace, in your neighborhood, in your community if you are open to being outside the box!  Right now my husband and I are in this transition period waiting on the Lord to one day soon open a door to church ministry again.  But during this time God has opened the door for both us to minister.  He is working in a teen rehab facility working with troubled and at risk teenagers and I am caring for an elderly woman who needs round the clock care.  It may not be “church” ministry but we both have seen how God is using us to minister to those we are in charge of.

Let me encourage you if you are in this time of transition to rest and heal, fellowship and be open to what the Lord has for you during this time.  God is not through with you I promise you that! We can stand on this promise, “He who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6