What Is Your Season?

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

You don't have to talk to people very long (especially with the weather we have been having) to discover their favorite season. Personally...I'm a spring and fall kind of guy. I love to watch the changes. Others like summer - vacation, warm weather, playing at the pool. Then there are those few who just love winter with its snow. Regardless of your favorite season there isn't much we can do to stop or accelerate them.

This same principle applies to life. We often find ourselves in various seasons. Some seasons are pleasurable while others leave us with difficulty. Some seasons are welcomed while others need to leave quickly. Regardless of the season we may find ourselves in there isn't much we can do to stop it or make it hurry along. No, all we can do is be faithful.

The writer of Ecclesiastes goes on to say that there is a time to:
be born
die
plant
pluck up
kill
heal
break down
build up
weep
laugh
mourn
dance
cast away stones
gather stones
embrace
refrain from embracing
gain
lose
keep
throw away
tear
sew
keep silence
speak
love
hate
war
peace

That's a pretty extensive list! And regardless of the our willingness to enter into these seasons they just come and go. The only thing that we can affect is how we go through them.

How do I respond when nothing seems to be going my way? What about the seasons where it seems that the Lord isn't speaking the way He used to? How does a person handle a heaven that seems to be made of brass?

All I can say is keep praying, keep believing, and keep going. This season will not last forever. I'm sure that it feels that way but it will come to an end. However, if you will remain faithful you will see how the Lord uses each season in our lives to draw us closer to Him.

What good are the mountain top seasons if we never enter the valleys? How will we ever learn to draw upon the insights, strength, and joy that we gained if we are never put to the test? Jesus never stayed on the mountain top but was willing to come down into the valley to do His Father's will. Shouldn't we do the same?

Actually, if we will learn faithfulness during the difficult seasons we will find greater joy during the easy ones. And we will also discover that regardless of the season our God never leaves us and never forsakes us!

I pray that you will experience God through every season of life. May you be conformed into the image of His Son.