In Canada we enjoy four seasons, namely, summer, spring,
winter and fall. Each season represents changes that we are accustomed already.
We even have four sets of clothing for each season. While they always come on
time, however, their impact is quite unpredictable at times. But no matter what
the season may bring us, remember that life must keep on moving as always.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 summarized what seasons of life is all
about: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and
a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time
to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a
time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time
to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a
time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a
time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.” (1-8, ESV)
When we begin to accept that God indeed provided a specific
time for every aspect of life to occur, then every encounter that we face will
make sense from His perspective. It is only when we forget that life has
seasons that we miss the clear messages He has for us for us to discover. There
is no code to break, just the simple realization of life’s realities that God
is in control. If you read Genesis 1:14, God also set everything with a clear
purpose: “And God said, "Let there be
lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And
let them be for signs and for seasons,
and for days and years.”
Somebody said, “Some
people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel
the heat.” I believe that when we see the light from God’s perspective, we
can effectively handle every experience, whether good or bad, as companions to
make us better. Moreover, when God is in full control of your life, everything
around us and in us happens for a reason, although we may never know the reason
at the time it came. But the most important thing is to comprehend its value
for our growth and development.
Howard Hendricks described the three stages people go
through when confronted with change:
1. Resistance to change
2. Tolerant of change
3. Embrace the change
Looking at each description, where do you see yourself? How
do you usually respond to changes? Do you begin from #1 and eventually reach #3
after you fully understood the changes? Or get stuck at either # 1 or # 2 and
never reach #3? There are reasons why people respond to changes differently.
Most of the time, they see changes and it doesn’t make sense why it is done and
there are times that changes are done just because of a personal agenda. But
when God is at work, the changes He intends will always benefit us even when
they don’t make sense.
Here is something for us to think about: if Abraham did not
accept and follow God’s prescribed changes for his life and Sarah, he would
have missed God’s promise and stayed at Ur as an ordinary man. But because he
obeyed God and embraced the changes, Abraham became a great man and was
confident of God’s promise in all the seasons of his life. You will find that
Abraham’s life was not perfect; there were many struggles yet he was greatly
assured of God’s promises. He simply persevered and stayed faithful to God’s
agenda for his life until to his last breath.
Thus, whenever you are feeling down as you go through a
tough season, remember that when God is on your side, everything works together
for good. He will never leave us nor forsake us in every season and whatever
changes may come our way, whether favorable or unfavorable, at the end of it
all we will always become better. I fully believe that if God is at work in my
life, He is also at work in your life.
Lets talk again!
