Dear Friend,
With a new government administration in place, it’s time for us to talk candidly about our season. Too often, we witness spiritual leaders, prophets, and Christian speakers share what they believe God will do, but rarely, if ever, do we have people walk us through the process.
That stops now.
We’re in a season much like 2016 and 2020, when people will begin to say more freely, “This is unprecedented.” Indeed, the fact that President Donald Trump was our 45th and now 47th president points to this moment. Yet, I’m not here to talk or debate politics; I’m here to tell you what opportunities are available now.
Over the last few years, prophetic voices have been proclaiming that there is a “changing of the guard.” I’m writing to tell you that the guard has officially changed. We’re no longer waiting for a supernatural shift because the shift manifested in the natural on Inauguration Day. Whether we agree with the current administration or not, that’s not the point. The point is that the seating of a new administration and the unseating of the old signals that we are in a new season of possibility.
So here’s what this new season means for you:
New Opportunities. Ecclesiastes 9:11 reminds us of two essential things: 1) There’s nothing new under the sun; 2) Success isn’t predicated on mobility, strength, intellect, or wisdom.
Generally, when people (mis)quote this scripture, they focus on endurance, but this scripture has nothing to do with endurance. Instead, it focuses on the opportunities presented by time and chance. Indeed, we are in a new season marked by the timing of a new administration, which means the next four years will be pregnant with opportunities.
With this in mind, I warn you against closing your eyes to opportunities. In some Christian circles, people believe that we should only collaborate with people who think like us. What’s funny is that we all don’t even believe the same, which is why we rarely agree. I point this out to you because if you believe that “the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just” (Proverbs 13:22), how will you get it if you don’t collaborate with people who don’t think/believe like you? To be clear, I’m NOT telling you to go to hell for anybody, but I am telling you that in order to position yourself to receive what God has for you, you have to be positioned within certain circles and systems, which leads me to my next point.
Use Everything. On the podcast today, I shared my 2025 success strategy: to use everything. In the episode, I talked about how while the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) refers to money, it also extends itself to spiritual gifts and talents. Essentially, we can use the concept of talents to deduce that God wanted a return on investment (ROI) from everything He’s given us.
While the dominant spiritual and cultural belief suggests that we should focus on one thing at a time, I beg to differ. We are no longer in “normal” times, which means that we can no longer afford to do normal things. If the ushering in of the Trump administration did nothing else, it showed us that the old ways of doing things will not get the job done (whatever job that is). I say that to say you have to switch up your strategy to make room for everything.
Recently, I was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine for my work on Octavia E. Butler. It’s funny because people ask how that happened, and I tell them that a journalist sought me out. Earlier this month, I had a TikTok video go viral on my Butler work, and what I didn’t know was that just deciding to turn on my camera would land me in Rolling Stone and with several new speaking engagements.
Why am I telling you this? Because the opportunities presented themselves because I used everything. When you use everything, it doesn’t mean that you’ll do things perfectly. On the contrary, it just means you’re creating more opportunities for yourself.
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV)
Strategy: The Ecclesiastes scripture gestures towards what I’ve been encouraging you to do. Here, it tells us to be ambidextrous, not to be idle, and to look for opportunities for growth in multiple areas. The mere fact that it says “both will do equally well” is a nod back to the time and chance that Ecclesiastes 9:11 mentions. Essentially, we cannot afford to be one-track-minded. We cannot afford to hide anymore. We are in a moment where everything you do can and will do well.
Create the Community. This is no time to continue waiting, wishing, and hoping that someone will give you a seat at their table because they might not. So what do you do? Create the community yourself.
Recently, I solicited new writers to join the blogging team in February. The ask was simple, the net was wide, and those who felt called to partner with me followed up. That’s how things will work from now on: You will have an idea, begin implementing the said idea, and invite people along for the journey. Those who feel connected will tap in while others won’t, but why are you focusing on the others anyway? Sometimes, we get caught up in the dangerous game of hyperfocusing on those who are uninterested in our projects. The reason that we do this is because it’s easy to focus on negative or absent energy. Honestly, it’s like our brains look for that type of stuff when we should be laser-focused on those who have indicated that they are interested in you and what you have.
I say that to say, that if you don’t have the community or opportunities now, it’s up to you to create them. Not having access does not absolve you from the responsibility of your try.
Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don’t take a backseat to anyone. Proverbs 22:29 (MSG)
Notice that Proverbs 22:29 talks about skill, which comes from God, but the work comes from you. This year, you must intentionally sharpen your gifts by using them and then creating a community around them.
Do you want to be in demand this year? Use your free gifts and talents to create the community around them.
P.S. Be sure to grab your free ebook, Strategic Shifts at www.brianawhiteside.com
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