4 C’s to Surviving Your Season of Preparation

1. Commune (or fellowship) with God
2. Control your emotions
3. Choose Your Inner Circle Wisely
4. Close your eyes to Comparison

#1 Commune with God
Consistent fellowship is vital during your season of preparation! This is not the time to slack off or stop going to church or bible study. This is a time that you should be clinging to God and the things of God. Prayer time, reading God’s word, meditation and/or writing in your journal should be a daily priority.
This is a time of 1-on-1 tutoring from the Holy Spirit. This is a time of heightened discernment and a keen ear to hear His voice and receive clear instructions. This is a very special time as you are getting thoroughly equipped for where God is preparing you to go.

#2 Control your Emotions
One of the most effective ways to control your emotions is to “Cast” Down negative thoughts and replace them with the word of God (2 Cor. 10:5). We have already been advised to renew our minds daily (Romans 12:2), but this will be critical during your season of preparation. For you will be dealing with emotions of loneliness, overlooked, rejection, abandoned or forgotten,irrelevance,and unqualified just to name a few.
When we look at different people from the bible they all went through season/s of preparation and I’m sure battled with these same emotions. Moses went from the palace to the wilderness, which I’m sure was very lonely on the backside of Midian. I’m sure he felt lonely and forgotten. But this was his season of preparation. Moses needed this time to learn who God was and get clear instruction on what God wanted him to do (Exodus 3:1-10). Moses feeling unqualified made excuses (just like we do). Moses communed with God and received 1-on-1 teaching and instructions from God during this period. Moses was being equipped to be a shepherd of God’s people.
I’m sure David felt overlooked (1 Samuel 16:6-12) his father didn’t even consider him when Samuel asked to see his sons. I’m sure Joseph felt rejected and abandoned by his own brothers.
He had to deal with close family hurt during his season of preparation. As well as abandonment as his brothers threw him in a ditch and then sold him. All of these men were called to Greatness! Yet every part of their lives prepared and equipped them for that greatness. Don’t despise where you are or what you are going through. God has strategically weaved these events into your life with divine purpose. God has to get some things out of us and put some things in us. Nothing is wasted with God. Every aspect of your life has been intentionally orchestrated to prepare and equip you for your purpose.

#3 Choose your Inner Circle Wisely
You don’t need negative people or dream drainers in your ear. 
Under this survival technique you will have to Cut Off or limit the amount of time spent with some people that are not profitable for you during your season of preparation. During this season it is already easy for us to want to quit (or throw in the towel). You don’t need people helping you to make that decision by their negative comments. Remember misery loves company. If they aren’t doing anything or making any significant moves in life, then they don’t want you to either. These people have two things going on with them. They have no Vision and they are struggling with jealousy and comparison. Pray for them and keep it moving. You still love them but in this season of preparation you don’t need their negativity added to what you will already be dealing with.
There is saying “go where you will be Celebrated and not tolerated”.
You need to have positive people around you. People that know the word and will remind you that the promises of God are Yes and Amen. That will encourage you to not be weary in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not. People that you trust and can be accountable to. Next to handling your emotions, having the right inner circle can make you or break you. Your Inner Circle can either positively support you or be your biggest distraction. Guard your ear gates and don’t allow them to be polluted with lies. Combat lies with the TRUTH (the word of God)!
It is comforting to know that even Joseph’s brothers could not stop the dream that God had given him despite their efforts. Neither can your God given dreams be stopped by man. 

#4 Close your eyes to Comparison
Your preparation season is not the same time frame as anybody else. God knows what needs to come out of us and what we need to be filled with. God knows how long this process will take. God knows how to thoroughly equip us for where He is taking us. We all have to travel our own road. We each have different ETA times. Don’t waste time looking at where other people are and how far along they appear to be. If we say we believe Jeremiah 29:11 then we need to act like we believe. “For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.”  Your actions will show if you truly believe this or not. You will start to jump ahead of God (in anxiety) or lag behind God (in procrastination). You won’t be walking in sync with Him because you’ve gotten out of your lane.
Trust God’s plan and timing! He knows what is best for us and when it is best for us to do what He has created and called us to do. You will have contentment and peace when you don’t compare yourself to others and trust that God knows what He is doing.