Want to listen to this blog post instead? click here for audio version
January has always felt like a season of planning for me.
Every year, I intentionally set aside time to reflect, goal set, and prepare for what’s ahead. It’s become a ritual — not just for business, but for many areas of my life. And almost every year, right after Christmas, I feel that familiar pull to hurry up and get it all done.
Have a plan.
Be ready.
Start strong on Day One.
January has a way of creating that pressure.
Another ritual I hold close is choosing a word for the year. Some years it comes easily. This year, it didn’t. There was too much pressing on my heart from the year behind me. I sat with it longer than usual… until one word finally settled in.
Release.
As I prepared to write this, I was reminded of something God often does before new beginnings: He invites us to let go first. And that stirred something deep in me.
What if the work of this season isn’t about adding anything new — but about gently releasing something old?
That question stopped me in my tracks.
It immediately brought me to Isaiah 43:18–19, where God tells His people to forget the former things before revealing the new thing He is doing. He was ready to move them forward, but they were still holding tightly to what had already been.
I can relate to that more than I’d like to admit. I tend to get sentimental. I hold on — sometimes long past a season’s purpose.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that life moves in rhythms and seasons, all riddled with intention. This passage isn’t just about time passing — it’s about discernment. Knowing when to hold on, and when to release. Knowing when something has served its purpose and trusting God enough to let it go.
Over the years, one thing I’ve learned is this:
Letting go can be incredibly refreshing.
So many of us — especially high-achieving women — see release as failure. But it isn’t failure at all.
It’s faith.
When God asks us to release, He isn’t taking something from us — He’s making space. Space for clarity. Space for peace. Space for what He has already prepared next.
Think about it this way: you can’t bring something new into a space that’s already full. Sometimes the clearing comes before the filling.
For me, one of the hardest reasons to let go is because familiar feels safe.
I remember a season when I was working part-time while building my business part-time. I knew that releasing that job would give me the time and capacity to step fully into what God was calling me to build. But I held on longer than I should have.
The paycheck felt safe.
My identity was tied to the role.
And walking away felt like unfinished business — something I deeply struggle with.
Yet day after day, I could feel God gently whispering, It’s time.
That season required trust. It was a faith walk. I resisted at first, but as I leaned in and surrendered, something shifted. When I finally let go, peace followed — the kind of peace God had been trying to usher in all along.
Letting go isn’t easy. It often feels like losing control — but the truth is, the control was never ours to begin with. The unknown can feel scary, but many times release becomes an unexpected gift. It moves us out of what no longer fits and into a season we couldn’t reach on our own.
Releasing without God creates fear.
Letting go with God creates faith.
🌿 Reflection
Where do I sense God making room for something new?
🙏 Prayer
God, I come to You seeking release.
This world is loud, full of noise and distractions that stir anxiety within me. I long for Your peace. Show me what needs to be released so that what is new, bold, and purposeful can emerge — all for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
🎶 Worship Song
“I’m Getting Ready” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
✍🏽 Scripture Writing: Releasing the Former Season
Letting go is rarely easy — but God often speaks most clearly when we slow down long enough to listen. Use the Scripture Writing Journal to reflect on this post. Don’t have it? Get it here!
Write these verses prayerfully:
- Isaiah 43:18–19
- Ecclesiastes 3:1
- Hebrews 12:1
As you write:
- Notice words about newness, seasons, and laying things aside
- Pause between verses
- Allow silence
After writing, reflect:
- What feels heavy that no longer belongs in this season?
- Where might God be clearing space instead of adding more?
Leave blank lines. Let this be a conversation with God — not a task to complete.