When God Begins Asking You to Let Go

Have you ever felt as so something you previously loved to do just suddenly no longer felt fulfilling? Suddenly something just feels misaligned. The career you once enjoyed feels empty or the role you’ve held for years is changing, and you can’t quite explain why you feel unsettled.

If you’ve experienced that, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.

It may simply mean you’re entering a new season.

Something that has been enriching for me is understanding the agricultural cycle of the middle east because it helps to create a clearer context for the seasons we see illustrated in the Bible. The seasons in the middle east function quite differently than they do in the West where I live.

During the summer, the land becomes very dry. The hills turn brown. Rain disappears for months. Then, in the fall, the early rains arrive. The ground softens so planting of new seed can begin. Fruit is harvested, and the trees are pruned so they’ll produce healthy fruit the following year.

That picture has become a beautiful illustration of what many of us experience spiritually.

Before God begins something new, there is often a season of both planting and pruning.

Sometimes New Beginnings Start With Letting Go

Several years ago, I found myself in that kind of transition.

I loved my career. I had an incredible boss who believed in me, encouraged me, and gave me opportunities to grow and I felt like I was thriving.

Then everything changed.

My boss was in the midst of selling his company and although he planned to stay and consult for a couple of years, he was suddenly diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumor. Within a matter of weeks, he passed away.

The leadership changed overnight and my role began changing. Responsibilities shifted. The parts of my job that had once brought me joy slowly disappeared.

I continued pushing forward and clinging to what I had but internally I felt like things were shifting.

I remember telling people that I felt out of alignment with my purpose. At the time, I thought something was wrong with me. Looking back, I realize God was beginning to stir something new in my heart because it was almost time for me to move on.

When What Once Excited You Feels Flat

One of the clearest signs I’ve noticed during times of transition is that the things which once energized you begin to lose their luster.

That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you’ve become ungrateful.

Sometimes God gently removes your attachment to an old season so you’ll have the courage to embrace the next one.

Looking back, I can see He was preparing me long before I recognized what He was doing. He was planting new desires and longings while pruning away old ones.

God Often Reveals the Next Step Before the Whole Journey

I wish I could tell you I had clarity on what to do next. I didn’t. I hired a life coach who was Spirit-led to help me work through the things I was wrestling. I prayed and waited on God to show me the next step. Little by little, ideas began to surface.

Then something unexpected happened. My husband unexpectedly told me it was time to leave my job. I resisted the idea at first but over the course of a few days, I kept encountering the same message: Let go.

It appeared while I was reading about Peter stepping out of the boat. A few days later, I picked up a key from The Giving Keys in a store. It was the only silver one on the display. When I turned it over, it simply said:

“Let Go.”

For me, those moments became confirmations that God was asking me to release what felt secure before I knew exactly where I was going. That wasn’t easy.

Following God rarely feels comfortable when you’re leaving behind something familiar.

The Next Step May Only Be a Stepping Stone

After leaving my career, I became certified as a personal trainer and joined my husband in his business. At the time, I thought I knew where my future was headed. Then 2020 arrived. Everything shut down. Our business was closed and the clients I had just begun working with never returned. Once again, I found myself in another wilderness season.

At first, it felt like a detour. Now I can see it was preparation.

If I had stayed where I was, I don’t know that I would ever have found myself here—hosting a podcast, writing, coaching, and encouraging others who are navigating seasons of transition. None of that was on my radar years ago.

God simply kept showing me the next step.

Ask God About the Timing

One lesson I learned the hard way is that timing matters as much as direction matters.

When I left my job, I made some decisions that, looking back, I would handle differently. I was relying on what seemed wise instead of slowing down enough to ask the Holy Spirit about the timing.

Sometimes obedience isn’t just saying “yes.” It’s saying “yes” at the right time.

If You’re in This Season…

Maybe you’re experiencing something similar. Maybe you’re questioning a career you’ve had for years and you’re wondering if its too late to start over. Perhaps you’re an empty nester trying to rediscover who you are outside of raising children.

Maybe you’re sensing new dreams beginning to form, but you can’t yet see how they’ll become reality.

If that’s where you are, don’t panic.

Lean into God.

Ask Him what He’s planting.

Ask Him what He’s pruning.

Ask Him about the timing.

Just as a fruit tree must be pruned to produce healthy fruit, we also have limited energy and capacity. Sometimes God asks us to let go—not because He’s taking something good away—but because He’s preparing us for something even more aligned with the season ahead.

The beginning of a new season often doesn’t feel exciting although it can be.

It definitely feels uncertain.

But sometimes uncertainty is simply the doorway into growth.

Watch the full podcast episode here:

I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Have you ever experienced a season where something that once fulfilled you suddenly didn’t anymore? Looking back, can you see how God was preparing you for what came next?