UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS OF LIFE
Ecclesiastes 3:2-8
Growing In the Seasons of Life Series
September 8, 2013
Pastor Nathan J. Thompson
This morning we are beginning a new series of messages called, “Growing in The Seasons of Life.” It is a series on growing up in your faith. It is a series that will point out that if you understand the seasons of life you’ll better be able to empathize with other people’s challenges.
Now when God created the earth he set up seasons of weather—springtime and harvest; winter and summer; day and night. God also established seasons of human life and activity—relational; physical; spiritual; emotional. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a…season for every activity under heaven.”
So this morning I will give you five general facts about the seasons of life. First of all they are beyond your control. You can’t control when, how long or their location. Most seasons often begin with a slight irritation or inconvenience. They start out affecting our neat schedules and then other plans often begin to evaporate.
Grief for example is a season of life. Each of you will go through this season many times through an extended illness, or when your kids move away and marry; that is also a loss. Each one of us here is also going to lose a loved one. Now the frustrating thing about this is we all know these times will come, but we don’t know when or what is going to happen next.
Secondly the seasons of life are often confusing. Sometime you may be in a situation and think, “Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand it.” And yet understanding usually follows an experience rather than precedes it. We sometimes understand when the season is over.
I’m sure that some of you here, by looking back on your life, can now see how you actually learned and grew through certain seasons. Looking back you now have a new perspective on what transpired. Hind sight they say is always twenty-twenty.
Yet there are some things that will happen that you will never be able to understand. And you’re not going to get an explanation until you get to heaven because God wants to you to live by faith, not by explanation. The Christian needs to live each day by faith.
Thirdly God can work for good in every season of life. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” This is God’s promise. He is there in all the seasons of life and is working to bring forth good things even out of the bad.
The reality is that God doesn’t need to send you problems; you come up with them by yourself. God doesn’t have to bring bad times, rather they will happen because of bad decisions you make, or bad decisions others make, and you become the innocent victim. Always remember, God is not the author or the cause of evil.
And yet God can still bring good things out of bad and evil events. That means that no matter how dark or shameful, how guilty or bitter I feel, God can bring good out of it. He can help us to live by faith. He can teach us how to avoid similar problems in the future. He can use our experience to help others. He can use this situation to help prepare us for other seasons to come.
Fourthly the seasons of life include both good times and bad times. Life is full of contrasts. We go through mountains and we go through valleys. We go through successes and we go through failures. There are times we win and times we lose.
Ecclesiastes says there is a time to be born and a time to die; a time to find and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to hug and a time not to hug; a time to speak up and a time to be quiet.
Life is a combination of contrasting seasons. All sunshine and no rain make a desert. If you are following God’s will; if you are really trying to live according to the way God wants you to live, each of these experiences can add meaning, purpose and value to your being. There is a time and season for everything.
There is an old Ray Stephens song that said, “Everything is beautiful in its own way.” But that’s really not true. Everything is not beautiful. Cancer is not beautiful. Child abuse and war are not beautiful. Everything is not beautiful in its own way. Yet our God can take bad things and turn them around, and can bring good things to each of us.
Some of you may be going through a season right now that is not beautiful. Your finances look ugly; your health looks ugly; your relationship, your marriage looks ugly; your future right now looks ugly. Yet God, my friend, can bring you through this. He can even bring something good out of these things if you’ll only give him the pieces.
And fifth and final, what I sow in one season I will reap in another. Every farmer knows that what you plant in the spring you harvest in the fall. How many of us had parents who told us that the habits we developed at home would often carry over into our marriage and career?
The way you respond in the season you are in right now will definitely affect your future. So we need to ask: How can I make the most of each season I am going through? How can I grow from it? How can I develop it? How can I become all that God wants me to be?
So first what can I learn from this season? Always be looking for something you can learn. In fact, some things you can only learn through experience. The truth is that God wants us to grow and learn, to find certain truths and principles. So ask what can I learn from this?
The most important thing God wants us to learn is to trust in him, not in ourselves. Sometimes our legs are going to be pulled out from under us so we have to look up to God. There may be times when God is all you’ve got left. There may be times when you need to hit rock bottom so you can see that Jesus is rock solid.
Secondly ask what can I enjoy in this season? Some people have the idea that when my job gets better, or when I get this account, or when I feel better then I will be happy. Yet the Bible says we should not wait to enjoy life—we should enjoy it right now. Each day, whether good or bad, are gifts from God.
And in this is also the reality that life is short. One of the fallacies we often operate under is that we’ve got lots of time. I’ve got lots of time to go to my child’s concert, or to spend time with my spouse, or to study the Bible, or to make my life count. And yet life is like a puff of smoke.
So we need to decide what’s important in this particular season in my life. If I can’t have it all, and I can’t, then I’ve got to make choices. I may have to say, “I’m sorry I can’t coach that team (go on that hunting trip; attend that party) this year because I’m too busy.”
I’m unable to do this certain thing because I’m a mentor/ leader/teacher for my child/youth; because I’m committed to worship each Sunday; because my wife and I are in a small group Bible study, etc. There are various limitations in whatever season you are in. A wise person will choose what is the best priority; they will enjoy the moment.
And thirdly ask how can I help others in this season? The Bible says very clearly that you and I weren’t put on this earth to just live for ourselves. Ephesians 2:10 says you were created for a “life of good works.” God has given you abilities, talents and energy to help other people.
And yet some say, “I will when things settle down.” Someday I’m going to get involved in church or in a ministry; someday I’m going to start giving generously and helping with a mission outreach. And yet, my friends, I can guarantee that things are never going to settle down. Never! There will always be something to fill your schedule.
So are you doing what God made you to do? Most people are miserable in life because they spend their time regretting the past, worrying about the future and as a result, procrastinating today. Some live a life of good intentions but never get anything done.
Yet the secret of happiness, my friends, is to give your life away in serving God and others. Jesus said that when you lose your life for his sake you will find it again. Some homework: Do something good this week for someone, but do it in secret. Get involved in serving, in volunteering, in a study. Grow in your faith, discover your ministry.
Stop waiting, my friends, for things to get better. Life must be lived right now. Today’s the only day you’re guaranteed of. Whatever good intentions you have do them today. Get started—this is often the hardest thing. Start now, in the season you are in--to learn, to enjoy, to set priorities--so you can trust God right now for whatever you are going through.