For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (New Living Translation, NLT) emphasis mine

As this passage testifies, life is made up seasons. And in each season, our actions may be very different. In one season we may grieve, for example, and in another season we may celebrate and dance. Seasons have many purposes, but mostly they are times of preparation for the next season.

Oftentimes, in order to move to the next season and the next level that God has for us, we must release some things. In the verse above, I enphasized the phrase “A time to embrace and a time to turn away.” The end of a season can frequently be marked by the end of relationships. In other words, God will transition us from one season to the next by removing people that might hinder or hold us back. It might be a friendship that becomes more distant and eventually you lose touch. Or it may be a family member that you simply don’t hear from as often as you used to. And while these relationships may have been helpful or maybe even strongly needed in the past season, they may not fit in the season God has in front of you.

The problem lies in our reluctance to let people go. We try to hang on to relationships that God is trying to phase out of our lives. And when we do that it usually causes issues. First of all, it can hold us back from moving on to the next thing God has for us. Additionally, it usually has a negative impact on the relationship itself. The friendship may become strained and lose its special meaning or you may find that you start to disagree on things more often. You may even have some major arguments; something which had never happened before. What can happen if we hold onto something God wants us to release is that it can turn sour and then we lose it anyway and we end up parting on bad terms. And that is not God’s will.

When we sense God is moving us to something new, be alert to relationships that seem to be fading. Seek the Lord if it is something or someone that needs to be released in order for you to move on. And by the way, I am not talking about a husband or wife. When people make vows before God, they are sacred,, and a spouse is not to be discarded with the changing of seasons. If God tells you to release a person, then do it. If they haven’t called in a while, don’t try to cling to the relationship. Let it go and move on. And if the Lord is dealling with you about a relationship that needs to be released, do it gently with love and compassion, not in a harsh or cruel way.

We have to understand that most people who enter our lives are there just for a time. Very few are there for life. We cannot take it personally when a relationship fades out. It usually isn’t about something we did or said. It is just time to go on to the new and leave the old behind. As we learn to recognize the changing of seasons and let go of some relationships, God will bring others across our path for the new season we are entering. So, my friend, look ahead to the future and move on.