Every one of us is in a season of life. Every season is different, and each has its own joys and difficulties. Outside, I can see where spring is in full swing. Trees are turning green as they sprout new leaves. Pollen is turning everything on my deck yellow, and flowers are adding their own touch of color to the season. Seasons of life are somewhat the same. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, Solomon wrote, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Let’s look at the spring of life. It is a season of new life. It is the beginning. We come into the world needing someone to take care of us, just as new plants do. God provides adults, hopefully parents, to feed us and keep us safe. We are totally dependent on another person to see that we are taken care of. When we become a Christian, we are in the spring of our walk with the Lord. Everything is new to us. The way we think, act, and live is different than before. We soon realize that to live the way a Christian is supposed to, we must be dependent on our heavenly Father for everything. We must recognize that He, and He alone, is the giver and sustainer of life. Our physical and our spiritual lives are a gift from Him.
Act 17:24-25 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Summer is the season to grow. What sprouts in the spring will take off and grow faster in the summer. There is more sunshine, and temperatures that allow the plant to produce faster. The summer of our lives can be a great time of growth. Where our minds are sharp and can understand the biblical principle and apply it to our lives. While the summer of life should be a time of fast growth, it can get heated up with so many responsibilities that we let our spiritual walk slide. We must be careful not to squander the energy we have at this stage of life. Use it for God wisely. Study, pray, and stay involved in a good Bible-preaching and teaching church. Hebrews 10:25 teaches us not to cut back on our time in church, but to increase it. It is very easy during this season to let other responsibilities take up our time that should be with the Lord. We must not let the noise and business of summer stunt our growth. If we push forward, our summers turn into a beautiful reflection of who He is. We are to be transformed into the image of Christ as Paul taught in II Corinthians 3:18.
Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
II Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that will not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
II Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
The third season is autumn. It is a time of change. A season of transition. I am in this stage now, and it is a time of letting go. Many of us have retired from our jobs. We are now taking care of elderly parents. This is a time to remember God’s faithfulness. A time to harvest all the knowledge and wisdom He has supplied through the years. It is a time, as the Psalmist teaches in 46:10, to “Be still and know that He is God.” It is also a time to realize the beauty of this season. The changing colors of the leaves remind us that maturity has its own beauty. We embrace wisdom over speed, and depth over breadth. We are not reading the word, so we can say we have read the entire Bible. We read for a deep understanding of the truths of His word. We dig into a passage that may take days to fully grasp as we run all our references. It is truly a rewarding time as we harvest the blessings of God.
The last season we see is winter. This can be a cold, lonely time of life. Many friends and family have passed away, children are busy with their own families, and our mobility is not as fluid as it used to be. It can be a major adjustment for those who have stayed active their entire lives. However, it does not have to be a bleak time in our lives. It should be a time where we seek to do all we can to win others to Christ. Our time is running short, and we need to approach our winter season with an urgency to serve the Master. It should also be a joyous time as we understand we are getting closer day by day to seeing Jesus. If your love for Him is as it should be, you will long to see Him. The song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” written by Helen Lemmel, says it best. As we grow closer to the end of our lives, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim.” The following verses remind us to focus on Jesus rather than the worries of this world. Our minds should be set on spiritual, eternal truths, causing the things of this world to lose their appeal.
Hebrews 12:2 “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
Colossians 3:1-2 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor.”
I John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever.”
