Can I Really Start Over?Sýnishorn

Do you remember the butterflies in your stomach on the first day at a new school?

Can you recall what it felt like getting dressed for your first day at an adult job?

You may remember what it was like to sign up for a dating app or go on a first date after a long relationship ended.

Starting over is rarely easy. It brings up feelings of anxiety and insecurity, challenging our confidence and leading us to question if all this work is worth it.

I still remember starting over in a new job several years ago. I was staying with a new friend, and as I got out of the shower and started getting ready, I realized I had forgotten to pack a shirt for my first day. Oh no! I didn't have anything else packed that would work with my outfit.

My wife could see the panic on my face, so she encouraged me to ask my friend if I could raid his closet. He generously welcomed me in, and we eventually found a shirt he never wore that fit my other items. Talk about a lifesaver!

It was a great first day, and I've enjoyed that job for over eight years! Whenever we see a shirt like that one, my wife and I give each other a look, letting each other know that we still remember the story and what it felt like to be starting over

As a pastor, author, and speaker, I've helped thousands of people navigate major life transitions. I've found that everyone is either headed into, in the middle of, or coming out of a life crisis. Studies show they happen every 18 months to two years. When those moments show up, we often have to start over in one way or another.

When forced to start over in some area of our lives, we struggle to find our way forward. I've discovered four specific obstacles that prevent us from embracing the new thing God is doing.

Throughout the Bible, God talks about the new things He is doing in the lives of His people. For instance, in Isaiah 43, God talks about doing something new among His people, like a stream carving through a wasteland. In Matthew 9, Jesus talks about His ministry and work as a new wine requiring new wineskins.

While there's a freshness to new, we often struggle to let go of the old. Starting over can be challenging. For some of us, starting over feels like grieving. Perhaps you started this plan because you don't want to let go of the past or have nothing exciting in the future. Maybe you're stuck in the present, and you feel like you didn't get a choice in this new beginning.

Whatever your story and feelings are bubbling up in you, I have prayed that this plan's content will be precisely what you need to hear this week. As we explore these four obstacles to starting over, I pray God brings clarity, courage, and confidence into your life.

I want you to know that I believe God is at work in you in ways you cannot currently comprehend. His grace is at work in your life; this season will not be wasted. One day, in this life or eternity, you'll be able to look back, recognize what God was doing, and marvel at His plan.

In the meantime, I look forward to sharing the first obstacle with you tomorrow. We will take a trip to a beautiful location where I had a terrible realization.