In 2019, I relocated to Lagos with my family from Port Harcourt where I have pastored for 9 years. I had a dilemma to either obey God for a fresh or get stuck in the little success I have achieved in Port Harcourt.
One morning in February 2019, we finally moved and it went from glory to glory. One of the most dangerous things you can do to yourself is to get trapped in the past or become insensitive to a fresh leading of God
Psychologically, getting trapped in past events, whether they are traumas, guilt, condemnation, habitual sin, regrets, or even former glories or success can prevent you from achieving future goals. Now, am I still pastoring? Yes! Am I still fulfilling God’s purpose for my life? Yes! it is the same assignment, but in a different place. Most times, God will not change your purpose assignment, but he will change the methods, the approach or the location.
Peter recounted his experience to the church leaders at Jerusalem when God decided to extend the Gospel to the Gentiles, starting with Cornelius and his household; Peter Said “The spirit bade me go”. Just as Peter was summoned by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit also bade me go.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS DEVOTIONAL HERE
A fresh start is not a new place, a fresh start is a summon of the Spirit, it is a new mindset, it is a renewed commitment for the same purpose and assignment God has created you for. A fresh start is a reset or a reboot. It is not a shutdown, it is a restart that ushers in a renewal.
Are you new in that environment? A newcomer or an immigrant? Do you want a fresh start in that marriage or career? Do you feel you have to rebuild your life again? God is a God of new beginnings. Regardless of past mistakes or missed opportunities, God is a restorer. You have to let the old go for the new.
Philippians 3:13 (TLB)
No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
Notice what Paul said, “I am bringing all my energy for what lies ahead”. I won’t waste my energy on the past event. Paul is saying , I will not put the past on repeat, I will not let my past experience become my future expectations. There’s a reason places your two eyes in the front not at the back, so you can always move forward only.
Forget what has been, you can thank God for the past, you can learn from it, you can reflect on it, but don’t live in it. It’s a dangerous thing to do. Delete the memory of past failure, false start, missed opportunity, don’t recycle them, don’t rehearse them. It’s a new day!
If you’re going to experience a fresh start, you need to start asking the right questions. What Can I Do to Make My Life Better than It Was last Year? Stop asking the wrong question.
What Skill Can I Develop and Deploy? What problem Can I solve? What solution can I proffer? What Answer Can I Give to My World? Where Can I serve or volunteer wholeheartedly? Who Can I collaborate with? These questions need sincere answers. Think impact, think significance, think relevance, think solutions.
Also, there is someone living your life right now; the life, the marriage, the business of your dreams is being lived by someone right now. Someone has already achieved anything you want to achieve or become. Find that person, connect, follow and learn from that person physically or digitally. God uses men for men. That is God’s pattern of lifting men. He raises someone to be a voice in the conscience of others.
Finally, A fresh start can not happen without clarity. Trust God Not Just For Direction, But Also For Clarity. At this stage of your life right now you can not do everything. Direction is to know what to do, clarity is to know what not to do. You must only commit yourself to what will work only.
You can do everything in Christ, but there’s a particular thing you must master well and succeed at. Reboot Now, and start a fresh!
DECLARATION
I declare that by the mercy of God, I am stepping into a fresh start. Old things have passed away, and all things are made new in my life. I rise with renewed faith, renewed hope, and renewed passion. I move forward without fear, guilt, or regret. By the Spirit of God, I begin again wisely, boldly, and victoriously. This fresh start produces growth, favor, and lasting fruit. Glory to God!
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Isaiah 43 : 18 – 19, Lamentations 3 : 22 – 23