When Life Sucks
Seasons are something we understand happens in the natural world but to the Christian it’s super important to understand that this principle applies to our spiritual lives as well. Just like Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 states, “There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.” The farmer understands sowing and reaping. There is a time to plant and a time to harvest what was planted. There are seasons for getting the ground ready, planting, waiting and harvesting; spiritually it is no different.
In the spring a tree begins to bud, to sprout leaves that do the job of capturing energy and converting it for the trees needs. It does all of its growing in the summer. It spends the summer growing and storing up for the dormant time. Trees go dormant in the winter season. There is no growth, no fruit and no leaves. It looks dead.
Many times as Believers we can get frustrated because we feel dead, like nothing is happening and we just aren’t seeing results from anything we are doing. Prayers seem to fall to the ground, our marriage isn’t changing like we are praying it will, our kids are acting crazy and the list goes on! I’ve found that when I’m feeling this way I may be in a winter season. It’s not time to harvest. The answers are still being cultivated. Acts 1:7 confirms…“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”
On the other hand in Spring I can feel like I can’t catch up with all the things that are happening in my life, have mercy!!! There are so many open doors and things God is asking of me that it can be overwhelming. So many prayers are being answered it’s crazy! I’m thinking “Lord this is amazing and exhausting at the same time!!” It’s harvest time woo hoo!!!! I begin to “reap” benefits from all the work, effort, prayers; the sowing that I’ve done. Everyone loves harvest time!!! But we can’t constantly stay there. Just like in nature the trees, and the ground need a rest, so do we.
We get into trouble when we don’t recognize the season we are in and adjust our expectations and attitudes. I’ve been through an extended “winter” season in my life recently. I went from crazy business to NOTHING overnight. I was absolutely confused. The best way to describe it is I felt lost, drifting on an ocean with no land in sight. It was terrifying.
Sometime during this season God began to get through to me that it was my winter. He had pulled me aside and was doing heart work in my life, like pruning a tree, preparing me for new growth and a new season ahead. It was like surgery but I was awake!!! Things were being cut off and out of my life that were still alive! This definately isn’t fun.
All I could do was lie there and hurt. and wait. I had to let Him do what needed to be done. During those times all we need to concentrate on is not giving up in the waiting but resting knowing He has this. If He wants us to do something He will let us know. Many times we have things in our lives that are beneficial for one season but detrimental for another. Only God knows what needs sawing off and when. We simply need to grit our teeth and let it happen.
If we don’t understand what season we are in we can get into works of our own flesh. My works are my idea of what needs to be done while God has me in a dormant season. It will always and only produce bad fruit. Abraham and Sarah did that once, they tried to help God and ended up with Ishmael, a son from their own effort. God promised Abraham an heir, Isaac. He and Sarah decided God was taking too long. Ishmael was the product of their “help”. Our own efforts will not produce what we desire and can make our winter last even longer. Ain’t nobody got time for that!!! Take a deep breath; to everything there is a season. This season for many of us is winter, a time to rest, let go, and let God.