Is what worked in the past not working for you now? Maybe it’s a job you’ve outgrown, or a relationship you need to re-examine, or a method you need to change. Whatever it is, don’t become so settled with it that you can’t let go and move on when you need to. Think of it like a hermit crab: he looks for a shell that fits, and lives there until he outgrows it. At that point he has to scurry along the ocean floor and find a bigger one – a process that repeats itself throughout his entire life. So, have a think about this question: are you clinging to something that no longer fits you just because it’s easy and familiar? David said, ‘You…freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress’ (Psalm 4:1 AMPC). There are times when we must learn to be willing to move out of our comfort zones and deal with a little discomfort. That’s what makes us grow. Patience and persistence are great qualities, but they don’t work in situations we’ve outgrown. Instead of ‘hanging in’ and trying harder, at certain points in life you’ll find you have to stop and ask yourself, ‘Is this situation good for me?’ If you’re not sure, ask God for ‘an understanding heart so that [you] can…know the difference between right and wrong’ (1 Kings 3:9 NLT). And when He tells you what to do, do it – even though it won’t feel comfortable at first. When God says it’s time to move on, it’s because there’s another shell out there that’s designed to fit you even better.
