Seasons
We live in an ever changing world with ever changing seasons. And while we all probably have our favorite and not so favorite time of year, there is always joy that can be found in each season if we are diligent to search for it. “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
In my own life, my favorite season has always been summertime. I absolutely love the warmer weather, longer days, the days at the beach, the cookouts, spending time outside, and seeing all of nature blossoming right outside of my window. But I often find myself struggling in the colder winter months to feel just as joyous as I do in the summer. I often find myself battling seasonal depression when the days are repeatedly rainy, cold, dark and overall not that physically appealing. I sometimes tend to want to just curl up and sleep the winter away as much as possible.
But the problem here, is that I know that Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that “with everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” This verse proves to me and hopefully to you also that no matter what season we are in (whether figuratively or literally), there is a reason for it and therefore we have something to rejoice in. Our hardships aren’t for nothing. Our darkness is not for nothing. Our joy is not for nothing. Sometimes in order too find the joy in these darker moments, though, we are required to look and dig deeper, knowing and trusting deep down that there is always joy to be found.
Personally, in my own darker seasons, I like to remind myself of how beautiful and meticulously thoughtful it is that God created the 4 seasons of nature to so closely resemble the seasons of our own life. No season lasts forever. It’s amazing to me that God loved us enough to give us this visual illustration. We will have seasons of hurt and death, seasons of rest and dormancy, seasons of storms, seasons of birth, and season of flourishing and harvest. And they all serve a unique purpose. Some seasons teach us, some teach others, some build us, some break us down, some refresh us, and some give us new purpose. God created them all.
So instead of constantly being bogged down in your darker seasons, I encourage you to make a diligent effort to always focus on the good and remind yourself of the blessings of the season you are in. Take notes of these things (no matter how small) and don’t be afraid to share them with others too. Pray over them and be diligent in seeking them. After all, if you search for goodness, goodness will come. If you seek and expect nothing but darkness, you will not find the light.
We must all guard our hearts through every season and not let the devil distract us, discourage us, or bring us down. We must also not let him use our good seasons to be self-seeking and all about us but rather use them to help someone else. We should only allow God to control our seasons and help us find our true joy in Him.