Our friend Craig Cooney recently wrote to his friends the content below. We felt it was so prophetic, so wise, we had to share it with you. Check out Craig’s ministry at https://dailyprophetic.com and watch this space, as he has some exciting changes going on right now…

Hi friend,

Your relationships have likely changed in the past 3-4 years.

Many people describe an increasing loneliness and isolation.

Not because you’re antisocial or don’t want to be around people.

But many of the people you were previously close to now seem to be more distant.

You once had so much to talk about. Now the conversation is strained.

You had everything in common. Now you struggle to see their point of view.

Perhaps the problem is that they haven’t changed that much in the past three years, but you have – probably much more than you realize.

In all of the isolation and upheaval you’ve been through in this challenging season, God has done a deep work within you.

It’s almost as if you’ve been in a cocoon and now you’re emerging back into the world – but you’ve been transformed.

You’re different. And you can’t go back to the way you were before any more than a butterfly can return to being a caterpillar.

It sometimes takes honesty, courage, and vulnerability to admit that the relationship is not what it used to be. It’s gone as far as it can go.

Author Lillian Hellman says:

“People change and forget to tell each other.”

That’s so true!

The good news is this: God has new friends, alignments, connections, and relationships for you in this next season.

Below, I have shared some thoughts about relationships and transition. I pray you find them helpful

12 TRUTHS ABOUT TRANSITION AND RELATIONSHIPS

1. New levels always bring new relationships. ​

In new seasons, God usually brings new people into your life to help move you forward.

Some people also exit your life.

In fact, transitions in your relationships are usually a very good sign that God is leading you into something new.

​2. When God walks you through transition, your relationships will change.

Not everyone who was part of your life will continue to be, at least not at the same level or to the same degree.

Your vision, capacity, calling, and role have changed, while they have likely stayed the same.

They were able to go with you this far, but they don’t have what it takes to journey the rest of the way.

It can be deeply painful, but it’s also simply part of the process of growth.

​3. Don’t expect everyone to understand, like, appreciate, or applaud the shift taking place in your life.

Some people won’t want your relationship with them to change.

They might feel rejected or become resentful.

It may require some difficult conversations and setting of boundaries.

4. You only have so much capacity for friendship.

That is why you must be wise and intentional in choosing who you want in your life.

​5. Author Jim Collins says that great companies get the right people on the bus – and then they get the right people in the right seats.

This can apply to relationships.

Sometimes you have the wrong people in your life.

And other times, you can have the right people in the wrong seats.

And there are certain seats for certain seasons.

Sometimes somebody has occupied one seat for a while, and it’s worked well. But it no longer works.

They don’t need to be removed from the bus. They just need to be placed in a different seat.

6. Don’t spend your life trying to change people who are determined not to change.

​It’s futile, and you will both end up frustrated.

​7. As you leave behind some connections and relationships from the past season, God desires to bring you into new, strategic alignments.

They will bring life, growth, companionship, and resource your future.

​8. Transition doesn’t always change relationships – sometimes it just reveals what is already there, simmering beneath the surface.

As God repositions you, elevates you, reassigns you, and reveals your true purpose, you may find that those closest to you find it difficult to accept. The true nature of the relationship comes to the fore.

​9. If God removes people from your life, it’s often because staying attached to them will limit you in some way.

Abraham had to leave Lot behind if he were to walk in God’s purposes.

Sometimes relationships keep you tethered to things, people, and places that God is trying to release you from. Therefore, you must let go of them to fully step into his purposes.

​10. As you go further and higher, your circle of friends becomes smaller.

You have to be more discriminating about who you allow into your life.

And you have to be more discerning about who needs to be brought closer, and who you need to create some distance from.

​11. Just as God sends certain people into your life – to bless, help, and resource you, so does the enemy – to steal, kill, and destroy.

Don’t become overly paranoid or suspicious. However, it is important to discern the motives of those you invite into your world.

​12. Relationships changing and transitioning don’t mean that they have failed.

It just means that their time or the way they have functioned has come to an end.

They may have fitted who you were. But they no longer fit who you are now. And who you are becoming.

Pray and follow Craig’s ministry at https://dailyprophetic.com 

👉 If you’ve enjoyed today’s devotional, please share it with your friends on social media or email it to someone who needs encouragement today.