Overcoming Trials

8 Encouraging Bible Verses About Change in Life

I wrote this post about how to embrace change as we adjusted to life with a tiny new member of the family.    If you feel like any area of your life has been flipped upside down lately, these words are for you. Be sure to keep reading to the end of the post for eight Bible verses about change in life.

Navigating Transitions (With 8 Bible Verses About Change in Life)

Our family recently stepped into a transition that startled us all.

After nine months of enduring my couch-bound illness, we welcomed our third child into the world.  My illness immediately lifted, and in a matter of days, life seemed to turn upside down.

It was a season of drastic change.  It was a good change, but it was still difficult.

How to Embrace Change in Life

As we settle into our new normal, I reflect on the lessons I learned about embracing change. If you struggle with change, I pray these truths will help you through your transition, too.

Here are a few ways to do more than just survive a season of change.  My prayer is that these suggestions will help you thrive when life gets flipped and seasons shift.

1. Prioritize white space in your days.

White space is time set aside without obligation.  It is time to think, settle, assess, and simply be present in your life.

It might be ten minutes on the deck in the evening, a walk around the block, or five minutes locked in the bathroom while little fingers wiggle beneath the closed door.

White space is space to settle, breathe, and be.  Our brains need time to rest, and in seasons of transition, it is immensely helpful to give our minds a break.  The purpose of white space is to have no agenda whatsoever.

Most importantly, invite God into your white space.  Make it a time to rest in his presence.  Open your heart to anything he wants to impress upon you, and simply rest in the awareness of his presence.

Give yourself space to show up without a plan and rest in the presence of the One who made you.

2. Hold your schedule loosely.

Transitional seasons are good times for adding commitments.  Think twice before you say yes to another committee or sign up to lead the local food drive.  Reconsider before you sign up to coach the soccer team or lead the scout troop.

Leave some wiggle room in your life.  You don’t know what the demands of this new season might look like as you live them out.  Resist the urge to fit as much as possible into your days.

Meanwhile, resist the urge to hurry.  Don’t force an agenda that worked in a different season of life or try to conform to a mold that no longer fits.  Hold your schedule loosely.  The pieces will fall into place soon enough, and you will be able to add to your schedule when the time is right.

3. Extend grace to yourself and those closest to you.

Extend grace to those who are within your direct sphere of influence.  Even more, extend grace to yourself.  Recognize that it is okay you’re struggling to make life flow as you adjust.

Extend grace as you lie awake at night with a spinning head.  Don’t get mad at yourself for not being able to sleep.  When thoughts keep you awake, rest in the presence of God, and allow the realization that you are resting in his presence to be enough.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received regarding sleeplessness is this: Your goal is not to sleep; your goal is to rest.  Don’t get frustrated when you can’t sleep.  Simply appreciate the opportunity to lie still and rest in the presence of the Lord.  This kind of rest is deeply restorative.

Extend grace to yourself as you fail to effectively juggle the requirements of your days.  Everyone will survive if you don’t have dinner ready on time, if you don’t meet the deadline, and if they have to fold their own laundry.

8 Bible Verses About Change in Life

In addition, here are eight encouraging Bible verses about change in life.  Let God’s Word carry you through this transition as you remind yourself that he is working and he is with you.

1. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9 NIV

Remember, life will change, but God does not change.  He also promises to walk with you into each new season.

2. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

This change might not make sense to you, but God is working.  Don’t get frustrated by your lack of understanding.  God is delighted when we express our trust in times when we don’t understand what he is doing.

3. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

God will show you what to do.  Keep seeking his face.  He has not forgotten you.  He will direct your steps.

4. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Life might change, but Jesus never will.  Find peace in this promise and make him your Safe Place.  He offers peace in the shelter of his wings.

5. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.  Ecclesiastes 3:1

God’s Word promises that seasons change.  When change comes your way, remind yourself that all seasons pass.  God is still with you, and he will carry you through these changing seasons.

6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Do you feel anxious about the change you are facing?  Talk to God.  Cast your cares on him.  He will help you and fill you with the peace that surpasses understanding as you give him your worries.

7. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

This verse reminds us that even though change can be challenging in the flesh, God is working in our souls.  We will all receive his rewards one day in heaven.

8. The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15

As you face this change, keep seeking God’s heart.  He will guide you and give you wisdom.

God’s Invitation to Rest in His Love

I consider these thoughts as the first of autumn’s crumpled chocolate-colored leaves scuttles across the deck, and a cool north wind speaks of what is to come.  There is more change blowing in from the north, and I arise to meet it with grace.

If you are struggling with change in life, extend grace to yourself, scale back your commitments, and create extra space in your days to let your new normal settle in your mind. #embracingchange #leaningintoGod Click To Tweet

A Free Devotional Book for You:

Does the idea of slipping away to recharge and refresh sound inviting?  Space for Your Soul to Stretch is my 8-day online devotional to help you connect with God.  Each day invites you to rest in God’s created world and spend time in his written Word.  You will walk away from this journey replenished and refreshed.   It is yours right here.

These two books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:

God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone.  Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life.  Find this life-changing book for free on the Kindle Unlimited plan or for 12.99 in print right here.  This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!

Calling all mothers and daughters!

Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God.  Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section.  Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book!  You can find your free Kindle Unlimited eBook or buy it in print for just 11.99 right here.

 

 

I’m passionate about equipping others to encounter God in powerful and life-changing ways. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me hiking, jogging, exploring wild places with my three young children and husband, leading small groups, and mentoring younger women. A certified special education teacher, I am on leave from the classroom for a season of chasing frogs and playing in creeks with my little ones. Most of all, the compassionate love of Jesus has forever ravished my heart, and I'm emphatic about making his love known to the world.