Learning from the Seasons and Stages of Life
Having grown up in Minnesota, I came to appreciate the uniqueness, and beauty, of each of the 4 seasons, though I probably would suggest that winter there is a bit too long. Each season has many enjoyable qualities, but summer is my favorite time of year. Summer represents a time to slow down, relax, rest and be restored. Yet, as much as I enjoy summer, I am thankful that it is not summer all the time. Rest and relaxation are not meant to be an end in themselves, in spite of what our culture suggests, but are life-giving times of preparation for the work that remains to be done.
In the introduction to his book, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Chuck Swindoll suggests that there are recurring seasons to life that come to us by the direction of our Creator, the One who governs all of life. “Each of the four seasons offers fresh and vital insights for those who take the time to look and think… As each three-month segment of every year holds its own mysteries and plays its own melodies, offering insights and smells, feelings and fantasies altogether distinct, so it is in the seasons of life. The Master is neither mute nor careless as He alters our times and changes our seasons. How wrong to trudge blindly and routinely through a lifetime of changing seasons without discovering answers to the new mysteries and learning to sing new melodies! Seasons are designed to deepen us, to instruct us in the wisdom and ways of our God. To help us grow strong…like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”
We also recognize that there are a series of life stages that most of us move through as we live out God’s plan for our lives. We begin as children, then become teenagers, young adults, newly married, young couples with children, middle-aged couples with teenagers, empty nesters and finally senior citizens. Each life stage has its own set of challenges, pressures, and rewards, and therefore shapes us accordingly. It also tends to color the way we view the world and how we relate to God.
One of the foundational doctrines of our Christian faith is that God is sovereign over all creation including us as His creatures. He holds the heart of the king in His hand and directs it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1) and while “the mind of man plans his way, it is the Lord who directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). He created us at the time and in the exact way He wanted us to be, with the physical features, intelligence, talents, abilities and spiritual gifts that will enable us to accomplish “good works which He prepared beforehand” (Ephesians 2:10).
He is also using the circumstances of life, even those that seem unfair or puzzling to us, to shape us into the image and likeness of His son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). One of the great mysteries, and comforts, in life is that nothing happens to us, or in the world in which we live, that is outside of God’s knowledge or control. God is in control and is working out His plan and purposes for all of creation for His honor and glory.
It was Socrates who said, “the un-reflected life is not worth living”, a concept we need to pay attention to today. God is speaking to us by His Spirit, through the Word of God, prayer, our life circumstances and through our varied experiences in the stages and seasons of life. But are we listening? He is teaching us about ourselves, the world in which we live, and the way He would have us live. But are we learning what He wants us to know? As we pray and reflect upon these experiences of life, we mature in faith and tend to view ourselves, the world in which we live and our relationship to God differently. Our love for God and others grows stronger, our priorities become clearer and life becomes simpler. We are freed of our pride and our sense of self-importance, thus enabled to embrace a life of humility and servant-hood.
Life lessons abound in every stage and season of life. God in His sovereignty is working out His plan in your life and mine. But we must stop and take time to reflect, to study and to pray in order to understand what God is seeking to accomplish in our lives. A friend of mine often asks people to consider whether they want to live another 30 thirty years or if they want to live the same year, 30 times? The answer seems obvious yet many forfeit the opportunity to experience the fullness of life because they fail to take time to reflect upon, and learn from, the seasons and stages of life. What would God have you learn today?
As we move into fall, I would invite you to consider making a retreat with us at the St Benedict Center in Schuyler, NE, November 15-18, 2018. Our Doorway to Discovery weekend is a 3-day guided retreat that provides ample opportunity to take time out and reflect on the current season of your life and where God is taking you over the next months. Many have found it to be a deeply rewarding experience. You can find more information by clicking on the ministry tab of our website. Whatever their specific emphasis, every opportunity will serve to strengthen you in your walk as a disciple of Jesus Christ and lead you into a deeper understanding of what it means to live in the kingdom of God. Plan now to take advantage of one or more of these opportunities. It will enable you to make the most of whatever season or stage of life you are in.
Author
Pastor Bruce is the Executive Director of God's Living Stones. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his wife Barb. They have two adult children.
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