A Season for Everything
by Ryan Duncan
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
I don’t like winter. At the beginning it can be fun: warm sweaters, fresh snow, Christmas is usually on the horizon, but once January hits, winter can be absolutely brutal. Everything is so cold and dark and bleak. You start counting down the days to spring in your head, and scanning the ground for any sign of green. Despite everything though, winter does have a purpose.
The changing temperatures help prepare the ground for seeds, and clear away dead vegetation to make way for the new growth. Without each season playing its part, it’s likely the environment would collapse. As Christians, it’s tempting to think that if we accept Christ as our savior and follow his commands, we’ll never endure hardship. But life, like nature, moves in seasons. Just look at what the Bible has to say,
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We live in a sinful world, and because of that, we often have to endure painful seasons in life, but that does not mean our pain is meaningless. Many times throughout the Bible, God took an evil thing and used it for good, and He still does this today. He can take a season of suffering and use it to open our eyes to the suffering of others. He can use a season of death and remind us of the beauty in life. He can take a season of sorrow, and draw us closer to Him as He encourages us, and reminds us all seasons soon come to an end.
No matter what seasons you may be experiencing in your life, remember that God uses all things to the good of those who love Him, and that all winters inevitably give way to a new spring.
Intersecting Faith and Life: Take some time to examine the seasons of your life and how God spoke to you through them. Are there others around you who could use encouragement?
Further Reading: 1 Timothy 6:12
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
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