What Comes With You Into This Season? - Season 2, Episode 1

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As the new year begins, most of us are already moving.

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We're stepping back into routines, setting goals, and thinking about what we want this year to look like.

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There's a natural momentum that comes with January, a sense that it's time to go, to start, to move forward.

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But before we rush ahead, there's an important question worth asking.

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Not where are you going, but what are you carrying with you as you go?

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Hi, I'm Melissa, and this is my question for you.

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If this is your first time here, I want to extend a very warm welcome and thank you so much for joining.

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And if you've been walking with me for a while now, I'm so glad you're here.

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As we step into a new year and into season two of this podcast, it doesn't feel like starting over.

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It feels like we're continuing with greater intention and clear awareness.

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Because how we move forward is shaped by what we bring with us.

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There's a verse in Hebrews that has been sitting with me as I've thought about this new year.

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It's Hebrews 12, verse 1, and it says, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.

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That verse assumes something important.

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It assumes we're already in motion, already running, already on a path that God has marked out for us.

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But it also acknowledges this not everything we carry helps us move forward.

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Some things slow us down, some things entangle us, and some things were never meant to come with us into the next season.

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January invites us to set goals, to think about discipline, growth, change, habits, how we're going to be better.

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And those things all matter.

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But Scripture reminds us that before we focus on running faster, we need to pay attention to what we're carrying while we run.

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Because you can be deeply committed to growth and still be weighed down by things God never asked you to hold.

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Goals matter, but discernment matters first.

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You know, every season we enter, we bring things with us, whether we realize it or not.

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We bring habits, we bring expectations, wounds that never fully healed.

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We bring responsibilities that God entrusted to us and burdens that he never did.

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Some things strengthen us for the journey and some things quietly drain us mile after mile.

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Hebrews doesn't tell us to quit the race.

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It tells us to lay some things down so we can run well.

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You know, I've learned this about myself.

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If I don't pay attention to what I'm carrying, I can set meaningful goals and still feel exhausted and Tired and frustrated halfway through the year.

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Sometimes what I'm carrying is pressure.

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The need to prove something or to get it right the first time.

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Sometimes it's fear.

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Not loud fear, but just subtle hesitation that keeps me from fully trusting with what God has next for me.

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And sometimes it's grace lessons God has already taught me strength I didn't realize had grown.

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Because not everything we carry needs to be released.

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But everything does deserve to be noticed.

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One of the most comforting things about this verse in Hebrews is that God doesn't just care that we run, but he cares how we run.

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He doesn't push us forward blindly, but he invites us to move forward wisely.

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Throughout Scripture, God consistently calls his people to examine their hearts, their motives, and the weight that they're carrying.

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Not to shame them, but to free them.

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Because perseverance isn't about doing more.

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It's actually about carrying less.

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So here's my question for you today.

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What are you carrying forward into this new year?

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And just as importantly, what might God be inviting you to lay down so you can run with greater freedom?

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This isn't about judgment.

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It's about alignment.

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Because what you carry will shape how you walk, and how you walk will shape where you end up.

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So as you begin setting goals this year, try this simple practice.

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Before you ask, what do I want to accomplish?

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Try asking this instead.

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What do I need to release so I can move forward faithfully, so I can move forward freely and without distractions and interruptions.

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I want you to pay attention to what comes to mind.

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Bring it to God honestly.

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Awareness is often the first step towards obedience.

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So as we move through this season together, we'll keep asking questions like this.

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Questions that help us walk with clarity, with faithfulness, and with trust in the pace God sets for us.

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We're not rushing ahead, but we are moving forward.

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As this new year unfolds, don't just think about where you're going.

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Pay attention to what's walking with you.

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Carry what strengthens your faith.

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Lay down what slows down and hinders your stride.

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And trust that God knows the race marked out for you and will meet you every step of the way.

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So until next time, keep asking, keep listening, and keep walking forward with intention.

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Foreign before you go if today's question stayed with you, I'd love to keep the conversation going.

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Each week I send a short email called this week's question a Quiet Invitation.

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And it's a simple reflection to help you stay grounded, to pay attention, to dive deeper into God's word and to walk with God throughout your week.

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You can sign up at my question for you.com bringing you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.

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Sam.