3 Responses For When Seasons Change
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To everything there is a season. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to gain and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to sew. A time to keep silence and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time of war and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Have you considered your responses for when seasons change in your life?
At 54 years of age, I have gone through a few seasons in my life.
The season of youthful exuberance, where dreams of the future dominated my thinking. Believing anything was possible.
The season of wedded bliss, believing my wife and I would live an everlasting honeymoon of fun and adventure. The season of child rearing was a time when time passed so quickly and was so full of activity.
I am now in the season of middle age.
The children are grown and moving on into their own lives. The body doesn’t recover as quickly as it used to from whatever activity I’ve been involved in on any given day.
The dreams of my youth have come and gone and have been largely unfulfilled. I take greater pleasure in simpler things like a nicely manicured lawn and a vegetable garden.
3 Responses For When Seasons Change
The transitions of life can be tough, and I am so thankful that I have confidence in the Lord to know He has given me a future and a hope in Him.
Life can be overwhelming at times.
Situations and people come into our lives that challenge us to our very core. We can struggle with so many things: health issues, personality conflicts, job loss, career changes, moves, our own sin nature, and on and on the list goes.
So, how do we deal with these seasons that come into our lives?
I’m no expert but I have discovered some principles that can make these transitions a little more palatable.
1. Stay in the Word daily, without fail.
I wish I could say I have done this my whole Christian walk.
There have been seasons where I have walked away from daily reading of God’s Word and tried to figure life out on my own.
Those times are now times forever lost when I could have been growing in my walk with the Lord. God’s Word is the very handbook of wisdom for life. To ignore it is to do so at our own peril.
We have a very real enemy of our souls who does not fight fair. He hates God’s Word and will do everything he can to distract us from reading and meditating upon it. It is our source for hope and comfort in a world that is going crazier by the minute.
I was challenged a while back to be faithful in my daily reading and meditating of the Bible, and I have found that it has made a huge difference in my outlook on life and my ability to take on whatever the day may throw at me.
I am so grateful that I took up the challenge to be in the Word daily.
I start out my day, before I even get out of bed, by reading a Proverb. Starting the day with God’s wisdom sets the tone for the rest of the day. At the end of the day, before I turn out my ligh,t I again take some time in the Word so that even in the night seasons I am thinking about the Word.
Do you want to walk in a deeper way with God? Are you hungry for more of Him?
Get into the Word daily. I promise it will change your outlook on everything you do throughout the day.
2. Take everything to God in prayer daily and immediately.
The old hymn says it beautifully, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.” – What a Friend We Have in Jesus
I’m amazed at how many times I hear people say that after they have tried on their own to solve a problem, they then pray.
We should pray first, then wait to follow our Lord’s instruction.
Isn’t that a better way to deal with the things life throws at you?
Don’t wait for a special prayer meeting at church or even your normal prayer time at home. Pray all day long. Whatever is on your mind. Whatever challenges you are facing. Pray dear one! Don’t let time pass before your need is taken to the throne room of God. Remember, He is as near as a whispered prayer. Don’t wait. Don’t fret. Pray.
3. Look for opportunities to serve Christ every day.
When we are selflessly serving others, we often find our own troubles and challenges are put into proper perspective. Does that mean they will go away? Probably not. But when we serve others, especially those who are less fortunate than we are, we can learn to be grateful for what we do have.
Regardless of where you are in life, whatever challenges you’re facing, I promise you, there is someone worse off than you.
Helping others helps us cultivate an attitude of gratitude. That is so much better and healthier than a grumbling and negative spirit. Ask your church where to start. They are a great resource for learning where you can best serve.
A promise for when seasons change
Whatever season you are in right now, if you put these three principles into practice, you will begin to experience life in a new way.
I know that for me, when I try to go it on my own and skip any one of these principles, I begin to grow weary and withdrawn. But when I apply the,m I get outside of myself. I begin looking at life from God’s perspective instead of my own.
These principles are not profound. You could call them Christianity 101. But they are vital for growth and a healthy Christian walk.
God bless you as you walk through this season of your life. May it be a season of growing deep and strong in the Lord.
My name is Craig Swanby. I repented of my sins and gave my life to Jesus Christ in August of 1981 at the altar of a little Methodist church in Spokane, WA. My life has never been the same. I have been serving Him in ministry for over 30 years. I have served as a singer/songwriter, worship leader/pastor, lead pastor, chaplain, and evangelist. I pastor at Life Springs Church in Spokane, WA. At this late date on the prophetic calendar, I believe it is of utmost importance for the church to double her efforts in the cause of evangelism.
