Understanding Seasons In Our Lives

SEASONS IN OUR LIVES

The book of Ecclesiastes points out that there is a time (or season) for everything . This morning let’s look at this scripture and examine the importance of what it’s saying about our lives.

Today our subject for discussion is ... "Seasons of Our Lives".

What’s the purpose of todays topic. Our purpose today is three fold.

1. To define what a season is and how it is significant to our lives.

2. To examine what happens when we miss a season in our lives .

3. To examine what happens when we get ahead of a season for our lives.

Our foundational scripture is Eccles 3:1 - 4. (it refers to times, which are seasons) .It reads..”To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up (harvest) that which is planted;

Let’s look at seasons in nature to get a general idea of how seasons work. In nature, things come forth, grow and fullfill their purpose and die. Notice that winter and spring are times of preparatation. In the winter the ground gets very cold or freezes, which kills germs or bacteria that could be harmful to crops. Plants that have died, during the previous season, decay and help replenish nourishment in the soil. Then as the late winter and early spring comes, the soil is plowed and made ready, seeds are planted nurtured and grow... then in summer and fall, crops mature and are harvested. The farmers then sell the crops for money and use the money to support their families and enjoy the good things of life.

So, what is a season? For our purposes today, a season in our life is a time frame that has been allotted for something to happen.

Again let me point out that God has so arranged it that things here in the earth and in our lives operate in seasons. We can depend on this because he tells us so in Gen 8:22. the scripture reads...While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest (seasons) and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” This scripture also gives us a basic description of seasons. We can gather from it that seasons are basically divided into two types... seasons of seedtime (preparation) and seasons of harvest (reaping from what has been sewn during the season of seed time).

From our example we also know that, during a season, things around us are orchestrated in such a manner that our efforts are supported.

Back to our example of the farmer. His goal is to produce a large crop of something, sell it and receive a lot of money for it. We see that he cannot however; get to the money until he properly goes through the seasons required to produce a crop to harvest. And , as he goes through each season, he must do the right things... (cultivate the soil , fertilize etc.) otherwise, he won’t successfully produce a crop that will bring him the money he desires. So it is in our lives, when we desire to be successful, we must observe the seasons that we are to go through and perform properly (do the right thing) as we pass through each.

Here is a life example. A young high school grad. desires to live a successful life. As he stands looking toward the future, he is very much aware of the many options that face him. He could hang out with the home boys, chase women, get a job, or further his education so that he can create the necessary financial foundation on which he can build a sucessful life. . he realizes that he is now in his season of preparation and, decides to continue his education. Remember we said that when we operate within a season, things are set up to work with or co-operate with us. Back to our example, the young man wants to continue his education.

Because of his age and intentions, banks and others are willing to lend or even give him money to pay the expense of his education. Other interested parties are willing to give him money to cover his personal expenses, so he doesn’t have to work and can devote all his time to study. Some organizations are even willing to invest in his potential by providing summer employment for him. {through all this our young man applies himself , works really hard and, at the end of the season, receives his degree and is well on his way to having a financially successful future.

2. What happens when we miss a season in our lives. Basically you don’t have the wind at your back, helping to blow you in the direction that you’re trying to go. Lets look at our same young man and what his life would have been like if he‘d missed his season of preparation... instead of choosing to continue his education, he decides to wait a while, to get a job... in order to have some money in his pocket, to buy some nice clothes and, a hot car. He also decides that for right now, he’ll just hang out with the fellows, shoot a little ball at the gym, frequent the night clubs and chase some women. This is all fun until one day he wakes up and finds that he’s 30 years old, married, has two kids and is stuck in the same low paying job that he started after high school. He realizes that he needs to do something better but, in order to... he needs to further his education . Now , our young man has missed his proper season of preparation. Yes, he can go back and get further training or education but, look at the things around him. They’re not necessarily working to help him with this. Furthering his education will cost a substantial amount of money. Those people who would have been willing to help pay for his education are probably not there anymore. The people who would have been willing to provide living expenses, so he wouldn’t have to work, are probably not there any more. So the burden of paying for this additional education is on him. Since things are already financially tight with he and his family... either he or his wife , or both of them ,will have to take on 2nd jobs to help pay for this additional education.