Give Your Dreams a New Beginning

You have to let go of your disappointments, let go of your failures, and let those doors totally close behind you. Step forward, into the future that God has for you, knowing there's nothing you can do about past disappointments. You cannot change the past, but you can do something about the future. What's in front of you is far more important than what is behind you. Where you are going is more significant than where you came from of where you have been.

If you will have the right attitude, you will give birth to more in the future than you've lost in the path. Quit looking back. This is a new day. It may seem like your dreams have died, but God can resurrect your dead dreams or give you brand-new ones. He is a supernatural God and when we belive, all things are possible.

You may have had more than your share of unfair, negative experiences. But know this: God wants to do a new thing. He wants to give you a new beginning. Don't give up.

When one door closes, God will always open another. If all the doors close, He'll open a window! God always wants to give you a fresh beginning. He still has a great plan for your life. Do you know when that's going to happen? It will commence the moment you quit looking back. Whenever you quit grieving over what you've lost. Nothing will keep you from the good things of God as much as living in the past.

You may feel that life has knocked you down through disappointments or other unfair situations. But whatever you do, don't stay down. Get back up again, dust yourself off. If you can't find anybody to encourage you, learn to encourage yourself.

Understand that throughout life we will always have forces opposing us, trying to keep us from becoming all God's created us to be. And many times, the adversaries, the unfair situations are the results of the enemy's efforts, attempting to discourage us and to deceive us into giving up on our dreams. You may feel as if you're at an empty place in life today. Not much is going your way. You've been through severe difficulties. But God wants to restore you, to encourage you, to fill you with His hope. He wants to resurrect your dreams. He wants to do a new thing.

You may have gotten off to a rough start in life. You may have had more than your share of unfair things happen. But it's not how you start that counts. It's how you finish. Shake off the past; shake off discouragement. Remind yourself that God is still in complete control of your life.
Your situation may seem unfair, it may be difficult; it may seem that the forces working against you are winning momentarily, but God said He'd turn your circumstances around and use them to your advantage.

In your difficult times, when you feel like conditions couldn't get any worse, God still says, "Take heart. I'm going to appoint another seed. I'm going to do a new thing."

You may have received a bad report from the doctor; or perhaps a relationship didn't work out. For everything that you've lost, everything that's been stolen, everything that's been taken away, know this: God has another plan. He has another seed.

If you've made mistakes, know this: God is the God of a second chance, a third chance, a fourth, and more.

Let the door close completely and step forward into the future God has for you. Quit looking back. Instead, receive God's mercy and start pressing forward in life.

How do we let go of the past? First, discipline your thoughts to stop thinking about it. Quit talking about it. Quit reliving every negative experience.

If you have been through a loss or one of your dreams has died, of course there's a proper time for grieving. But at some point, you need to get up, dust yourself off, put on a fresh attitude, and start pressing forward in life. Don't let disappointment become the central theme of your life. Quit mourning over something you can't change. God wants to give you a new beginning, but you have to let go of the old before you'll ever see the new. Let that door close behind you and step through the door in front of you.

At times, all of us will have people who leave our lives. They may not be bad people. It's just that the season for that relationship is over. We may not understand it, but God knows what He's doing. Maybe that person is holding you back. Maybe she's keeping you from spreading your wings. Maybe he is not a good influence. You may discover that, sometimes, if you don't keep things stirred up, God will stir things for you. When somebody leaves your life or a relationship is over--whether it is a business partner, a friend, a neighbor, or a coworker who parts company--don't get upset. Don't try to talk them into staying. Let God do the new thing. Understand that your destiny is not tied to the people who walk away from you.

No, that person is not the key to you becoming a better you. When God is finished with something, there's no amount of glue that can hold it together. You might as well let it go and get ready for something new that God wants to do in and through your life.

No matter how many mistakes you've made, you need to know that on the inside, you have the seed of Almighty God. You should go out each day expecting good things, anticipating God's blessings and favor. God has planned all of your days for good, not evil.

Remember, we are called overcomers. That means we're going to have obstacles to overcome. You can't have great victories without having difficult battles. You'll never have a great testimony without going through a few tests. The enemy always fights the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you.

I've had people tell me, "Joel, I know that someday I'll be happy. I know one day I'll enjoy my life in the sweet by and by."

I appreciate what they are saying, but God wants us to enjoy our lives right here in the nasty now and now. He wants us to have a little heaven on earth, right where we are. One of the reasons Christ came was that we might live an abundant life. You can be happy and free in this life, not simply in heaven one of these days; you can accomplish your dreams before you go to heaven!

Every enemy in your life has already been defeated--enemies of worry, depression, addiction, financial lack--and you have power over all of them. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is inside you. There is nothing in your life that you cannot overcome; no hurt is too deep that you cannot forgive. You have the power to let go of the negative things of your past. You may have been knocked down a thousand times, but you have the power to get back up again. The medical report may not look good, but you have to power to stand strong.

Refuse to sit back and accept things that are less than God's best. You can never change what you tolerate. As long as you accept it and accomodate it, you're going to stay right where you are. But you don't have to live that way. You are learning to function in your dysfunction. I encourage you to go one step further. Try giving up one cigarette a day. Forgive one person who has offended you. Strive to be just a little more disciplined today than you were yesterday.

God's help can overcome any evil in your life. You can break any bad habit. You can overcome any obstacle.