How you leave a situation is critical to your next season.

Even more critical is the blessing when you leave. There is something very supernatural to leave a situation with a blessing. That blessing is critical to your skills, ability and influence.

The blessing also mantles you with resources, promotion and support.

When I left the law firm and I started my first business. I left with more than a 2 week notice and with their support and blessing and they actually became my first client. Now that is UNITY.

I understand that sometimes leaders are so broken you think they won’t “bless you” so you take matters into your own hands. But I will tell you that I had a HORRIBLE experience at a church for 2 years who falsely accused me in ridiculous claims. But I was determined I would not leave without a blessing. Trust me, there was no way with my natural eyes did I see that happening. NO WAY. But the Lord gave me a promise that when I learned the lesson He was trying to show me HE would cause the pastor to release me with a blessing. I waited. I died to my flesh. I cried a lot. I got a lot of therapy. I learned. And one day . . .everything shifted. They blessed us to leave back to the mission field (probably more like “bless them so they will leave LOL) But it was a blessing. Not only did they bless us, they supported us financially and by sending a team to Honduras.

Blessing is CRITICAL to your leaving.

Listen, when you have worked in a ministry or a job and you feel it is your time to leave. Share with the authority there what your plans are, so they can bless it. Don’t do things in “hiddenness” there is no light in that. If you have to be quiet about what you are doing, you should not be doing it.

Honor your job, ministry, family with a notice of time. Even the world asks for 2 week notice. This is to help the transition period. Spiritually it is called honor. You don’t leave holes. It is a lack of honor. And NO there is NO WAY you can justify anything other than that. (Unless there is abuse, financial, spiritual, physical, sexual, mental, but be careful not to paint the picture into one of these abuses)

Don’t disconnect from your last season.

Don’t “unfriend” don’t change your number, don’t not answer emails . . .don’t make it appear there is an issue (especially if there isn’t one) walk in unity and peace. Show others watching honor, unity, peace, relationship.

Don’t take people with you.

Really? You wouldn’t have known those people had you not been in the position or ministry. You didn’t pay the marketing dollars to obtain them or let them know what you offer or your service or product. You were not away from your family promoting what they built. Be honorable, if you didn’t know them outside of that position or prior. Leave them be. If you believe in what you are doing so much, it will grow organically and with your influence. If you are having private conversations about leaving and can’t add the authority person into that conversation, it shouldn’t be happening. God has a remnant just for you. Leave other people’s remnant alone. The world has a Non-Compete Clause because it was their influence, marketing and relationship… that you even know about them. We have honor. It is building a culture of honor. example: don’t invite everyone to your “new thing” and not the authority person. It reveals your heart.

Don’t leave without over-communicating.

If you have served somewhere or worked somewhere… don’t just send a curt email and be gone. Withdrawal without communication is rejection and it is one of the worst forms of abuse. It leaves the person at a loss and in wonderment about what they could have done better. Or maybe you saw a problem and instead of being critical you were meant to be the solution. Maybe we all have blind spots and that is what a team is for and the feeling of “uneasy” or the “problem” is just what they need to hear because they have been feeling the same. Over communicating and truth shows love.

Don’t say you are leaving to “do your own thing” there is no such thing, we are brought into relationships to orbit around each other through support, resources, cross promotion, unity, credibility.

When we leave and mantle yourself with dishonor, lack of love, poaching, you will note they will start to appear in what you are doing. Not initially. But over time. One time I left a ministry and was mad. I painted a different picture to others and made sure others knew about the pastors weaknesses so that it helped justify the picture I was painting. Then I realized I could NOT get traction in what God called me to do. Until I went back and asked for forgiveness and a blessing. Ouch. I learned a HUGE lesson.

What you mantle yourself with as you leave… is what people discern when you enter. Blessing is critical to your launch.

Selah.