When the Next Version of You Requires Something Different.

When the Next Version of You Requires Something Different

Growth sounds good until it requires change.

We love the idea of becoming.

Becoming stronger.
Becoming wiser.
Becoming more confident.
Becoming the person God created us to be.

But becoming almost always requires something from us.

And sometimes, that “something” is letting go of what no longer fits.

That’s not always easy.

Because everything you need to release isn’t necessarily bad.

Some things were good for you in one season.

Some relationships served a purpose.

Some routines gave you comfort.

Some ways of thinking helped you survive.

Some versions of you did exactly what they needed to do to get you through.

But just because something worked then doesn’t mean it belongs in your now.

And THAT can be hard to accept.

Because familiar feels safe.

Even when familiar is no longer helping you grow.

Sometimes we keep holding on simply because we know how to function there.

We know that version of ourselves.

We know those patterns.

We know those people.

We know what to expect.

But then God starts stretching you.

Your thinking changes.

Your desires change.

Your priorities change.

Things that used to satisfy you don’t anymore.

Things you used to tolerate begin to bother you.

Conversations you once enjoyed don’t feel the same.

You start wanting more—not necessarily more things, but more meaning.

More alignment.

More peace.

More purpose.

And suddenly you realize:

I’m changing.

Don’t be afraid of that.

Growth is supposed to change you.

You cannot keep asking God to take you somewhere new while insisting on remaining exactly the same.

At some point, the next version of you is going to require something different from you.

Different thinking.

Different habits.

Different boundaries.

Different decisions.

Maybe even different expectations.

And sometimes the hardest change isn’t what you have to do.

It’s what you have to stop doing.

Stop shrinking to make other people comfortable.

Stop explaining decisions God has already given you peace about.

Stop returning to places you’ve already outgrown.

Stop talking yourself out of opportunities because they feel bigger than you.

Stop carrying responsibilities that were never yours.

Stop believing an old story about yourself simply because you’ve been telling it for years.

You are allowed to grow beyond who you used to be.

In fact, you should.

There are things I believed about myself years ago that I don’t believe anymore.

There are things I once tolerated that I wouldn’t tolerate today.

There are decisions I would make differently now because I know differently now.

That doesn’t make the old me wrong.

It means I grew.

And when you grow, you have to give yourself permission to live according to what you know now.

Not who you were five years ago.

Not who other people remember you being.

Not even who you needed to be during a difficult season.

Who are you becoming NOW?

That’s the question.

Because sometimes we become so loyal to an old version of ourselves that we resist the very growth we’ve been praying for.

But God isn’t calling you backward.

He’s calling you forward.

And forward will require courage.

The courage to say no.

The courage to say yes.

The courage to change your mind.

The courage to establish a boundary.

The courage to try something different.

The courage to admit, “This no longer works for me.”

And yes, sometimes people will notice.

They may even say,

“You’ve changed.”

Maybe you have.

The question isn’t whether you’ve changed.

The question is whether you’re changing in the direction of your purpose.

Because change for the sake of change isn’t the goal.

Alignment is.

Becoming more of who God created you to be is.

So pay attention to what this season is asking of you.

What needs to change?

What needs to stay?

What needs to grow?

What needs to go?

You don’t have to throw away everything from your past to move into your future.

Take the wisdom.

Take the lessons.

Take the memories.

Take the growth.

But don’t drag something into your next season simply because you’re afraid to leave it behind.

Remember:

How you go through determines how you come out.™

And sometimes how you come out looks different from how you went in.

That’s growth.

You are purposed.
You are positioned.
You are predestined.
You are equipped.
You are prepared.

Give yourself permission to become.

The next version of you is going to require something different.

And maybe different is exactly what you need.

Let’s take a Selah Moment:

What are you still holding on to simply because it’s familiar? Is there a habit, mindset, expectation, relationship, responsibility, or old version of yourself that no longer fits where you believe God is taking you?

And what would choosing differently look like in this season?

Now Our Faith Declaration:

I give myself permission to grow and change.
I will not remain attached to what God is calling me beyond.
I release old thinking, habits, and expectations that no longer align with my purpose.
I trust God as He stretches me into who I am becoming.
I have the courage to choose differently when different is required.
I am becoming more of who God created me to be.

With Purpose,
E. Lorraine Gardner
The Purpose Speaker™