For many of us, July feels like a fresh start. A turning point. A mid-year invitation to realign, reawaken, and rise. Dreams that have been locked away for years are starting to stir again. Can you feel it?

Will we rise to the challenge and fulfill them?

In my journey, I’ve learned a hard but freeing truth: To go up, we must give up.
We cannot rise to new levels while clinging to old mindsets, unhealed behaviors, and false identities. The things we are unwilling to release, they become idols, quietly stealing the space meant for God’s purpose in our lives.

So, what might we need to let go of in this season?

1. Mindsets That No Longer Serve Us

I remember when I first arrived in the U.S., full of hope and expectation. I had always been employed or in school since earning my undergraduate degree, so when I couldn’t find a job, I was shaken. It was the first time I felt such a shock!

That shock, however, led me deeper into prayer. I began seeking God more intentionally. I recalled a dream I’d had long ago—to write books that would impact lives. But I had placed that dream on a shelf, saving it for “retirement” or “when I had more experience.”

But God doesn’t work on our timeline.
He doesn’t need credentials to call us, though He can use them.
He doesn’t need us to have a job to provide—maybe He’s calling us to create them.

If we’ve been given the opportunity to pursue higher education or travel the world, God can use that for kingdom impact. But if we haven’t, that doesn’t disqualify us. It might just mean He’s taking a different route—one that doesn’t depend on our resume, but on our readiness.

But Faith isn’t proven until it been through the fire. If you live in New York, you may have felt the intense heat lately.
Seasons of delay, discomfort, or suffering are not punishments—they are preparation. If we remain faithful, God will build in us the spiritual maturity needed to carry the weight of the dream.

2. Behaviors Rooted in Wounds

Growing up without my father and with my mother often away, I learned to wear independence like armor. I took it on, though I was never really alone. But in my mind, I was, and so I behaved that way. And for a time, that belief served me. But it also created isolation and hidden hurt.

The truth? We were not meant to do life alone.
God designed us for community and connection—but first and foremost, dependence on Him.

Sometimes, what we call “independence” is just unhealed abandonment masked as strength. But healing comes when we humble ourselves and admit our need not just for people, but for God.

3. The Need to Strive (Instead of Trusting the Process)

I’m a future-minded, big-picture thinker. I naturally see 5, 10 years down the road (recall that the dreams I am pursuing now, I have had since I was a teen!). This is a gift, but it hasn’t always felt that way. Sometimes, it kept me anxious, overthinking, and disconnected from the present.

Before I even began a dream, I was already strategizing how to finish it. Anticipating the outcome made me a planner, but also a striver. And striving is often rooted in fear: sometimes this looks like ” I need to do this before I can get to that” we plan the longest route based on societal norms. But then other times it may look like “If I don’t do this now, I might lose it” – impatience.

However, thriving is rooted in love:
“I’m growing. I’m moving toward something meaningful. I trust the One who called me.”

Most people live in survival mode—unconsciously following the crowd, doing what they must to survive. I believe God is calling us out of that cycle and into something higher.

Learning to honor the present without sacrificing the future, and plan for the future without abandoning today, is balance.

That’s wisdom. 

Are We Willing to Give It Up?

Whatever we are unwilling to surrender, whether it’s old thinking, wounded behavior, or control of the outcome—becomes an idol. And idols will block the fulfillment of the dream.

This season, God is calling many of us to rise. But to do so, we must make room. That means letting go, loosening our grip, and walking by faith.

Because when we give up what no longer serves us,
we step into the life God has always had waiting for us.

With grace and growth,

Sanchia and team.

Audio Version

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