Among the community of faith, “shift” often symbolizes a transition from season to season, an influx of blessings, or a change in the “atmosphere” in a service setting. All of these are valid, however, sometimes we can get lost in phraseology without knowing the true definition. So, shift: to “move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance” (Dictionary.com). “…Especially over a small distance” That’s the part that is so easy to miss. There are miracle instances where God will put His hand over a thing and change it immediately. But most times, nothing and no one changes overnight. It’s the daily encounters and convictions that shape our shift overtime. Sometimes we don’t realize how far away from Truth we are until we look back and see that we’re not even close anymore. We must pay special attention to the change in thought that caused us to drift away from Him. Was it a friend? A group of people? A book? A television show? A “mentor”? A combination of these things?
I challenge you to think back to that time when you were so passionate about God AND His people. (He commands us to love them TOO!) Have you shifted away from that passion? Have you been convinced that “it doesn’t take all that”? Have you shifted your focus from Him to others? Have you justified sinful behavior because others close to you engage in it as well (like they won’t be judged by God just as you will?) Have you found complacency in “God knows my heart”? Yes, He does. Which means He also knows that you can change but stubbornly choose not to.
We find ourselves praying for faith to move mountains, when we first need faith to simply move our feet. Faith to get BACK where you belong. If you find that you’ve shifted away from Him, this is your invitation to make your way back. Not in shame, but with a heart of gratitude. While His love is unconditional, His favor is contingent on your obedience to Him (i.e., Job, Joshua, Moses, Paul, David). Cheers to shifting.
-Bri
There comes a time in our lives where we may be called to naturally, physically, or spiritually shift.
One definition of shift is, “to change the place, position, or direction of.” It could be the transitioning into a promotion at work, perhaps going into the first or last year in college, or it could be as big as entering into parenthood. Whatever the reason, God may be possibly preparing to shift us into a different phase of life that will position us to level up in our walk with Christ. The bible tells us, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven”-Ecclesiastes 3:1. It is imperative that we as believers of Christ trust God’s timing and prepare not only our minds but also our spirits to enter into the next season. It is in the time of transitioning that we need to stay in God’s presence. It is in times of change in spiritual seasons that God may reveal to us the obstacles that jeopardize our journey.
Not every shift is comfortable. Change upsets our comfort levels, leaving us insecure and fearful. It challenges our expectations, our routines, our understanding of the world and how we live in it. We as people have a tendency to become complacent when things appear to be going well in our lives and when that is threatened, we can become very uncomfortable. We may even become so accustomed to a season, good or bad, that we prolong our shift due to fear of the unknown. However, God tackles that confusion and fear as well! He tells us to not only shift ourselves physically, but to shift our focus from that which we don’t know to that which we know to be true…His word! “But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.”- Romans 3:31 When we are literally living out God’s word and trusting His promises, our steps are ordered.
Although the shift is not promised to be an easy one, it is promised nevertheless. It is how we prepare for it that can either lessen or increase the hardship of our transition. Sisterly advice: When God calls us to shift, we must respond with His word and not with our emotions. Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, and I do not change. And so you, the descendants of Jacob, are not yet completely lost.” Even when we may be required to transition, God remains consistent and tangible. Not only is He consistent but He will lead us if we place our complete faith in him. “I will teach you the way you should go; I will instruct you and advise you,”-Psalm 32:8.
Sis, God is calling His people to do great things in His name, in order to shift things in the natural, we must accept His spiritual shift for our lives as well. Be bold and courageous in your transition as you seek out His will for your life!
“Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go,” Joshua 1:9. -Moe