Walking in Confidence: Choosing to Begin Again
Silencing the inner critic so you can lead and live boldly.
After the telecom boom of the late 1990s, everything seemed promising. Everyone had feared Y2K, but when it passed quietly, opportunities began to close instead of expand.
At that time, I was working as an engineer, providing technical support for one of our major customers. I still remember being on vacation when I received an unexpected call from a colleague. He told me that our entire division had been laid off. Our product line had been sold, and although I wasn't directly tied to that area, I knew my time was limited.
One month later, I got the call I had dreaded. My position was gone.
What was I supposed to do next? I had little income, no job prospects, and bills piling up in a downsized economy.
In the midst of that uncertainty, my seminary advisor encouraged me: "Go to seminary full time." My first thought was, How in the world can I do that? I had responsibilities, expenses, and fears about stepping into something so unknown.
But despite all the reasons to say no, I took a step forward. I chose to begin again — moving into ministry in the midst of financial and personal uncertainty. It wasn’t easy or perfectly planned, but it was a leap of faith that led to a new season of purpose and growth.
Spiritual Insight:
Beginning again doesn’t always happen on your own terms. Sometimes it comes through closed doors, unexpected losses, or painful endings. Yet in those moments, God often invites us into deeper trust and a new identity beyond what we imagined. We don’t start from zero; we start from experience, faith, and the unseen seeds already planted within us.
Reflection question:
Where in your life is God inviting you to begin again — even if it feels risky — and what small step forward could you take today?
— William