The Courage to Make the Change: Letting Go and Pressing Forward

Have you ever held onto something simply because you thought you needed it for where you were headed? Maybe it was a commitment, a group, a dream, or even an identity you were trying to grow into. Letting go can feel like losing ground. Change can feel like risk. And the fear of missing out on opportunities can make us stay connected to things long after God has whispered that it’s time to release them.

Last year, I found myself in that exact place. I joined a community I truly believed was going to push my business forward. It felt like the right move and the next step. But a few months later, when my schedule became overwhelming and everything started to feel heavy, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to step back. I didn’t want to. I worried about missed opportunities and falling behind. But I also knew God was asking me to make room again.

When I finally stepped away, something shifted. The things God had actually been preparing for me had space to grow. The work He wanted to flourish began to move. And months later, when an email from that community popped up, I realized I hadn’t even thought about it. What I thought I was losing was never meant to carry me into the next season anyway.

Philippians 3:13–14 (NKJV) says,“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

This passage reminds us that movement with God often requires release. Paul wasn’t saying that the past has no value, but that it shouldn’t have the final say in where we are going. There are some things we outgrow. Some things we must let go. Some things that served us in one season no longer carry grace into the next.

And here is the beautiful part:

Pressing forward is not a sign that you failed where you were. It’s a sign that God is ready to do something new in you.

When God invites you to make a change, it is never punishment. It is preparation. It is realignment. It is an invitation into clarity and purpose. And it always comes with a mindset of advantage, because when God calls you forward, He has already gone ahead of you.

Courage does not always look loud or bold. Sometimes courage looks like quiet obedience. Sometimes it looks like saying no to what used to make sense. Sometimes it looks like making space for what God has been waiting to release in your life.

And if you’re sensing change in your spirit, a shift, a release, a redirection, that courage is already in you. It is part of your identity. It is part of your calling. And it will carry you forward.

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Midweek Pause Activation

Take a few minutes today to lean into courage:

1. Take a slow breath and ask:

   “Lord, what are You inviting me to release so I can move forward?”

2. Notice the first thing that rises in your heart.

   Don’t debate it. Don’t push it away. Simply acknowledge it.

3. Say this out loud:

   “I have the courage to make the change God is calling me to make.”

4. Invite God into that place:

   “Show me the grace, the peace, and the advantage that comes with this step.”

5. Sit for a moment and imagine your life with space for what God wants to grow next.

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Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for giving me the courage to make the changes You are calling me into. Help me trust Your timing and Your leadership. Strengthen my heart to release what no longer aligns with Your plan for my life. Lead me forward with clarity, confidence, and the assurance that You have already prepared what lies ahead. Amen.