How to Shift When God Brings Realignment

You need to know how to shift with God when He brings realignment in your calling or life. Here’s how I needed to shift when God wanted to make changes.

When you begin sensing that God wants to make a realignment in your calling, you know things are about to get real. (Did you notice the word real is the first four letters of realignment?)

The word realignment means the action of changing or restoring something to a different or former position or state. It’s like when a chiropractor applies his skill to move and shift your body back into the proper position. Like most people, I don’t like going to the chiropractor but the end result brings relief.

Recently, God began a realignment in this ministry. I love it when God moves in the details of my life. Yet I’m reluctant to follow His plan before I see where He’s going with it.

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How God Began Realignment

A few weeks ago, God laid fasting on my heart. At first, I thought He wanted me to only write about it. See, I had a few articles laying around that I could dust off, spruce up, slap on the new branding, and publish. But God had other plans.

The voice I heard from God was more of a knowing, but if I had to put it into dialog it went something like this:

Fasting.

“Right, God. Got it. It’s time to talk about fasting.”

It’s time to fast.

“Wha—? Heh, heh…nooo. You mean the fasting is for my readers.” I subconsciously held my breath.

No, you.

Exhale. Whimper. “Ok, I will. What am I supposed to fast this time? My chocolate again?” Hmm, I haven’t even been eating it lately.

Tea.

Gasp! “Not my tea! My warm, comforting, sweet, slightly-caffeinated goodness?” I whined. (It’s amazing how fast I went from shocked to pouting.) But then I pulled it together. Sorta.

“Yes, Lord….Anything else?” Please don’t add anything. Please don’t add anything.

Blog.

“Right, okay, I will study more on fasting and write about it!”

Don’t publish anything. You’re fasting from publishing right now.

Noooo! Sigh… “Whatever you want, God. You know what you’re doing.”

Right about then my husband walked in and asked, “Aren’t you going to have a cup of tea today?” Oh, the irony. But I survived.

Barely.

Just kidding! It wasn’t so bad.

I prayed for months about a regular feature that’s starting here next year, and He began a direct download of details! When that happened, the purpose of my fast became more evident.

Before He could bring this realignment, I had to let go of my tea. And my blog.

But God wasn’t done.

He laid on my heart something I’ve been dodging Him on for quite awhile. (I guess today is my day of confessions.) I’ll get to that in a minute.

3 Weaknesses That Hinder a Realignment

I’ve been going through Priscilla Shirer’s Gideon study lately. The truth is, I always regarded Gideon as a wimp. But as I went more through the book, I saw my weaknesses looked a lot like his! OUCH.

1. Wanting proof. Gideon didn’t want to trust God’s directions outright. He worried about the outcome. He wanted proof.

And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then SHOW ME A SIGN that it is you who speak with me. Judges 6:17 ESV (emphasis mine)

I wanted proof, too. I kept asking God for confirmation. He delivered.

2. Relying on the proof. Gideon depended on the fleece rather than God’s character. But then, how much did he know God? Not well or Gideon would have known God’s character by experience. Well, he gained that knowledge next.

Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, THEN I SHALL KNOW that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” Judges 6:36-37 ESV (emphasis mine)

3. God uses us despite our insecurity. God knows we’re human. When we’re hesitant, He patiently works on us (not shames us) and helps us to grow. Also, notice that God provided support through a human. Let that sink in!

That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.

But IF YOU ARE AFRAID to go down, GO down to the camp WITH PURAH your servant. Judges 7:9-10 ESV (emphasis mine)

Letting Go

Right around the time I was fasting, I got to the point where Priscilla brought out in the study how God cut Gideon’s 32,000 down to 300. That section is all about letting go. What He stirred in my spirit is a tagline that I rejected back when I rebranded:

Leading women to thrive in Christ.

I felt like God was saying to change it. I needed to let go, but it was a tug of war. Why is that such a struggle? I guess I felt like my numbers would go down—which is not the point of ministry.

But it’s during the time of fasting that I could let go. Then, the pressure unloaded because instead of focusing on ministering to the whole world, now it’s only half the world. 😉

So now you know. My tagline is about to change. God is aligning my focus.

I realize I may lose some male readers and that’s okay. However, if you are a male reader, the content won’t change. But if you decide to move on, no worries.

As I’m going through this realignment, God is helping me be more authentic with sharing my walk with Him. It’s been the heart of my ministry that whoever reading (or hearing when I speak) will be influenced to grow closer to the Lord through the transparent example of my struggles to victories in Him.

I’m thankful He’s restoring that. I hope you’ll continue to join me.

Update: God led me to change my tagline again to Thriving In Christ Together with the integration of the Thriving In Christ Shop.

Do This Before God Brings Realignment

My friends, realignment begins with letting go. To let go, you need to trust Him. The word trust has been my One Word for about a year now (I don’t always go with the January to January schedule on that). Trusting God this past year? It’s been a struggle.

Is letting go and trusting God a cakewalk for you? (If it’s not, then maybe you should go on a fast. Just sayin’.) Lack of trust is the resistance He works through to fulfill His will.

The secret is not in retaining but in releasing. —Priscilla Shirer

Letting go might seem like a vulnerable position to place yourself, but remember your life is in God’s hands. If you don’t let go, who knows what you’ll miss out on? He has good plans for you.

How have you needed to shift when God brought realignment or changes in your life?

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