How God’s Presence Guides Us through Difficult Endings and New Beginnings

Last year, I ended a project I had been building and working on for 12 years. It wasn't because the project had failed or been unsuccessful—in fact, it had been hugely successful.

But I realized that to get to the next level in my life, I'd need to let that go so I'd be freed up to give all of me to something new I was working on. It was all about doing something new, so I had to let the old thing die, and I ended it. In Ecclesiastes 3, 1-2, King Solomon says, There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.

A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to uproot. Bringing things to an end can be hard. Something in us feels like we've failed if something doesn't just continue forever.

But, for most things in life, there's a time to start them and bring them to an end. Ending something doesn't mean failure. I'm convinced that God is just as much in endings as in beginnings.

He even calls Himself the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. Alpha and Omega were the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. God has no beginning or end.

But He's saying that His presence is in all things, the beginnings and the endings. So we don't need to be afraid to let some things end. In fact, we often hinder new beginnings by refusing to let older things pass away.

We keep trying to breathe life into something that's already past its expiration date, which can limit us. Weirdly, endings bring freedom.

If all you have is beginnings and you are constantly adding new things with no endings, you will eventually get overwhelmed. Sometimes we have to dedicate a season to ending something really well. If you're like me, I love starting new things, love those seasons.

But to do things thoroughly, sometimes you have to give your best to end it well and finish strong. All healthy living things have an expiration date. If you're looking at food that never expires, it's probably not very good for you.

And that's probably because it was already dead or was never alive in the first place. And staying in places without life for you will hinder you. Sometimes, we must acknowledge that the season is over, and that's okay.

God is in the ending, too. And we trust him to bring a new beginning when we step away from that old thing. So my prayer is this.

May we be those who aren't afraid to bring some things to a close in our lives? May we trust that God is always at work accomplishing his purposes. Ultimately, we can have confidence that he who began good work in us will complete it.

Part 1: How God’s Presence Guides Us through Difficult Endings and New Beginnings
Part 2: The Secret to Surviving Life's Toughest Seasons
Part 3:  Is it Really Okay to Have Sad Days?
Part 4: How Ecclesiastes 3:5 Can Change How You Face Challenges

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