Leading Through Transition

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Candy Alcosiba

Transition is hard. No matter who you are or what role you play, transition is never easy. It often comes with frustration, tears, and doubt. As leaders, learning how to lead through transition is difficult. As we walk through our own struggles, we are still called to lead. But how well that is done is the challenge.

I believe there are five biblical fundamentals for leading through transition. When these principles are applied, there is an empowerment from the Holy Spirit that flows from heaven to His servant, and then it flows out to those being led.

The first “must” in leading through transition is to always function in your purpose. Don’t confuse functioning in your purpose with your calling—they are different. In a nutshell, functioning in your purpose means glorifying God. Above anything else, we are called to glorify Him. First Corinthians 10:31 makes it clear that whatever the situation, or how much we struggle or suffer, we are meant to glorify God.

Above the messiness of transition, believers must be determined to function in their purpose—we must resolve to glorify God. With this mindset, your ability to navigate the struggles and hardships of leading through transition will prevail, whatever you encounter.

Developing a firm, unshakable foundation is the second “must” for leading through transition. In Matthew 5, Jesus preaches the most valuable sermon of all time. He begins His message with a series of beatitudes and then transitions into real-life stuff—he teaches about the law, adultery, divorce, money, praying, loving our enemies, and much more. He tells us how to live a righteous life in Christ.

At the end the most robust sermon ever preached, Jesus sums it up with a parable. The parable is about two guys each building a house on two very different foundations. A storm comes, and there are two very different outcomes.

Through this parable, Jesus emphasizes that if you want to live righteously and be successful in all areas of life, then you must be rooted in Christ. You will have many trials and storms. But if your foundation is in Jesus, you will stand firm and lead well.

The third must for leading through transition is prayer. Prayer is power. Prayer is the believer’s weapon to fight off the enemy. It is our fuel to survive. Jesus knew that His ministry was dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him—that is part of why we see Jesus praying continuously throughout the Scriptures.

Jesus was in constant communication with the Father. And it was through that communication that the power of the Holy Spirt was unleashed. The disciples recognized the connection between prayer and movement of the Holy Spirit, which is why when they could have asked Him for anything, they asked Him to teach them to pray. Every miracle Jesus Christ performed hinged on His connection to the Father through prayer. Nothing was accomplished without prayer. If you are not praying, you are simply not leading.

The fourth “must” is to let go of the former things. Isaiah 43 tells us to forget the former things. Why? Because God is doing something new. We can’t see the something new if we are paralyzed in the past. The yesterdays of ministry are gone—learn from them, and then let go. God is doing something new. Maybe you are surrounded by wasteland with no end in sight. But you can trust God for the streams ahead.

The fifth “must” to lead successfully through transition is to persevere. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”