Steps to entering and leaving - A God's way pattern

Steps to Entering and Leaving

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The God-given pattern of entering and leaving has steps that can help pull you through the crisis of change. If you have just left a job, were fired, resigned, left a church or ministry, broke an engagement, started a new career, found the one to marry, moved to another city, started college or found yourself in a different situation, you can do these steps. Do them in every succeeding stage of your life to help make your adjustments smooth. They are :

1.) Realize that crisis is normal

The first thing you need to understand is that crisis is normal to life. Whenever you face transition, you will go through a crisis. Crisis is normal in a process of growth. Remember, God’s pattern of escape is not primarily an escape from but an escape too. God is bringing you out of a temporary state to take you into a higher, more permanent state of living.

Generally, the way from the transient to a more permanent state of being in life is by way of crisis. Keep this divine perspective as you believe on the Lord to guide you through the stages of development.

In the transition, what is in your mind, heart and spirit is most important to you. Where you are is not as important as who you are. While God changes the where, open yourself to let Him change the who. You may leave the old environment and circumstances behind, but remember–you will always take your spirit with you. What is in your spirit will determine what you will find in your new situation and environment.

2.) Follow the Lord's pattern: Forgive

The Lord Jesus Christ is our pattern for entering and leaving. He left Heaven to enter earth, then left earth to enter Heaven. Each was by way of crisis.

Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was laid in a tomb and rose from the dead– and even though He paid the full price for our salvation, if He had done it without forgiving us of our sins, we would still not be able to enter Heaven. The unforgiveness would have barred us from ever joining Him and the Father. His forgiveness opened the way for us.

Life is lived on the basis of relationship, so opening or closing the doors of relationships is as important a pattern as entering and leaving. By forgiveness, Jesus opened the door of relationship to Him and the Father. The same principle holds true for you and me in our actions toward others. Forgiveness opens; unforgiveness closes.

3.)Admit that God is your source.

The next thing you need to do in times of change is to admit that God is your source. Recognize that if you have committed your life to Christ, He–not man–is in control of all you submit and commit to Him.

Bankers, employers, personnel officers, judges, the corporate structure or even your church is not your source–God is. These may have authority in your life, and you have to recognize and respect that authority. But there is a Higher Authority to Whom you have submitted, and all these things rest under His Supreme Authority. As your Advocate, He is able to present your case in a winning fashion and win the outcome in your favor. God is the ultimate authority over everything in your life.

Recognize that God is your source, and then never stop honoring Him with your substance. If you are suffering from a financial loss, honor God with what financial resources you do have. Faith operates at all times.

4.) Don't panic

When fired from a job, preparing for marriage or in any crisis, you need to ward off the stress that pressures you into panic. Panic and productivity are opposites. Panic is always counterproductive.

In the emotional wavering that can vary by the minute, panic can set in with the buildup of tensions, anxieties and tightness in your spirit that will hurt your ability to think and act wisely.

In spiritual life, tightness and panic blind the eyes to the Word of God, depresses the spirit, reduces faith, robs prayer life and slows receipt of God’s answers.

Panic is most obvious when you awaken in the early morning hours, unable to sleep, fearful, mentally searching vainly for answers, being tempted to quit or commit suicide (either social, financial or physical) and wondering what to do. Then, in desperation, you turn on the bed lamp to read the Bible, but the only thing that leaps out of the page at you are the judgments of God. Due to your weak state, you apply them to yourself and sink deeper and deeper into depression, unbelief and worry.

Turn on Christian music and recordings of Bible reading, and turn off the television! Don’t pollute your mind further with junk from unsanctioned minds and talents. Instead, renew your mind with the washing of the water of the Word. Don’t panic. Keep productive.

5.) Don't limit God

Many of us limited God. It was one of our problem. We limited God to our human expectation. to what we saw, knew naturally or experienced in the past. We limited God to our own understanding.

You and I are not our Creator. God is. He is not limited in His nature. God is not limited in Himself, but He is limited in our lives by our faith.

We tend to be limited to what we can see with our physical eyes. As a result, we are unable to reach out beyond ourselves in faith to believe God for things that only He can create or bring to pass. When we pray and ask God to take care of things, then go about trying to fix them ourselves, we limit Him.

God is not limited unless we limit Him. God puts no limits on faith. Faith puts no limits on God. God can create something out of what seems like nothing.

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Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."