How to Begin Again: 3 Insights
A towering hemlock casts a sleepy shadow on bare earth, and a pine squirrel gnaws on a walnut from its unseen perch overhead. I am in the woods with a stack of books and a journal—intent on seeking God and as I ask him how to begin again after a setback in my life.
As springtime sunlight floods the forest, it feels like a day to lean into new beginnings.
I’ve been feeling restless lately. I’ve been trying to write and struggling to find words. I wonder, Is this God’s way of redirecting my path?
I’m mulling this over as I open the thin pages of my Bible, and I read the following words: “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll” (Jeremiah 36:28, AMP).
The passage jumps off the page as if God penned it directly for me.
In context, these are God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah recently offered a warning to God’s people, telling them to repent. When King Jehoiakim of Judah heard the words, he had the scroll burned.
Calling Baruch, his scribe, Jeremiah declares that it is time to rewrite the message. It is time to begin again.
How to Begin Again
The words leap off the page because not long ago, I poured my heart into a big writing project that essentially went up in ashes.
“Where do I go from here?” I asked God.
God didn’t provide an immediate sense of direction. Instead, I sensed him walking with me through my disappointment and healing my heart.
As I sit beneath the hemlock many months after my scrolls went up in ashes, I sense God speaking, “Take another scroll, and begin again.”
I’m not sure I want to begin again. Starting over can be exciting and hopeful, but it can also feel terrifying. Permitting ourselves to hope again after our dreams have been crushed isn’t easy. It feels safer to guard our hearts and give up on hope.
I wonder if you can relate. What have you labored over, only to see it go up in ashes?
If God has called you to this assignment, he just might ask you to begin again. He just might ask you to return to the job you don’t like, keep investing in the difficult marriage, faithfully parent the rebellious child, or continue chasing the dream that fell apart.
It’s also important to note that there’s a time for moving on and going in a new direction.
I’ve been known to stay in one place for far too long out of routine and comfort.
However, there is also a time to return to the God-given dream and begin again.
How do we begin again when we’re not sure we have it in us?
Let’s talk about it.
How to Begin Again: 3 Practical Ways
1. We turn to God.
When trying to determine how to begin again after a difficult setback, it can be hard to know where to start.
I’ve learned that these are the moments when I most need God to work in my life to do what I cannot do on my own.
Have you ever noticed that willpower can be a tough motivator when you’re not sure how to begin again or whether you even want to try? In these moments, we stop leaning on willpower; instead, we run to the arms of the Father who is waiting to show us the way.
Ask God to show you where to start and turn to him for direction. He will show you.
2. We follow God’s direction.
Second, we follow where the Father leads. We only do what we see him doing.
Do you sense God calling you to take a step of faith? Follow him.
Has he opened a door no one else could open? Walk through it.
Is he asking you to do the hard work of starting over? Take the first step today.
Beginning again might feel like hard work; however, God will reward you as you step out to follow him.
3. We lean into the transformation that happens on the journey.
Third, when starting over, we trust that the journey matters far more than the outcome of the journey.
Starting over can be hard, but there is beauty in the process of beginning again. God is with us in the process. Instead of sprinting toward the finish line, we stay in step with the Spirit of the Living God, and we keep our eyes open for the beauty woven into the process.
You might feel discouraged as you step into this new beginning. Nevertheless, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Keep doing the next thing as God places it in front of you. God will transform your heart as you follow him.
The journey matters far more than the outcome of the journey. #newbeginnings Click To TweetWhat does it look like to live this out in the various realms we inhabit?
Encouragement for Weary Moms
For weary moms, beginning again often looks like trusting in God to equip us when exhaustion and burnout wear us down. Daily, it includes getting out of bed and returning to the work that fills our days.
It looks like asking for help from others and asking for help from God as we aim to extend kindness and gentleness to our children.
It looks like smiling as we slice the apples and cut the crusts off the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for years on end. It’s recognizing that these small moments matter far more than the grandiose moments—that there are no small moments.
How to Begin Again When the Daily Grind Is Wearing on You:
For the working woman, beginning again looks like driving to the workplace where the boss with unrealistic expectations makes you feel like you’ll never be good enough.
It looks like going through the same routines day after day and realizing that no one might ever thank you for your efforts, but God sees your faithfulness.
He sees the kindness you extend to the people who don’t deserve it, the way you stop to listen to the lonely custodian and the way you smile at your most dramatic coworker in a genuine expression of love.
In truth, every day is an invitation to begin again. Every day is an invitation to embrace the clean slate of a new beginning and align ourselves with the One who calls us to love others.
A Fresh Take on New Beginnings
At the end of the day, is this not all we really have: An invitation to arise and begin again tomorrow—trusting that God’s mercies really are new each morning? And maybe beginning again isn’t all that bad after all.
Maybe it’s less like a monotonous task repeated in an endless cycle and more like a second chance to start fresh.
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