I am notorious for scrambling to change things when they are not lining up as I think they should. Instead of allowing God to work things out according to His predetermined plan, I decide to interfere and “fix” things. Of course, my way is not better, and I end up dragging myself through the challenge rather than rising to it. Eventually, upon reflection, I see that it would’ve gone more smoothly if I had rested in the moment and trusted God’s plan.
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB
Life is full of ebbs and flows. Of mountain tops and valleys. Of things that build us and things that break us. Yet God is in control of it all. Our best move is to trust Him in every season, no matter how it may appear to us. We need to understand there is an appointed time for everything and trust that God will work it all out.
As I mature in my Christian faith, God is teaching me some valuable lessons about finding value in every season, even the challenging ones, as I trust Him with the process.
Lesson #1: Timing matters and God’s timing is always perfect.
When I forget to trust God’s timing, I act in ways that are contrary to His perfect plan. I rush ahead, barging through doors He never opened and zipping right past the ones He did. I misread “signs” I’m so sure I see and get in the way of what God wants to do. I have so much more peace when I slow down, pay attention to the lessons in every season, and allow God’s timing to play out.
Lesson #2: Excel where you are, or as it’s been said, “Bloom where you’re planted.”
My current circumstance is not a random occurrence. God has prepared me for exactly what I will face today. I’m learning that instead of wishing for this appointed time to pass, I need to figure out how I can glorify God in it. The next season will come, and it will have its own challenges and rewards. If I focus on the future or dwell on the past, I will miss what God is showing me in the present.
Lesson #3: All the seasons work together in the wonderful tapestry of your life.
As my life unfolds, I can clearly see how the past has prepared me for the present. The fact that none of it is wasted helps me hold on during struggles and find purpose in every season. God has promised to work all things out for good, and one day I will look back and see how it all came together.
Finding purpose in every season takes patience, endurance, and trust. Just remember – the One you are trusting in is the One who created you, loves you, and has wonderful plans for you.
Lord, help me to cherish every season of life. To be strengthened in adversity and to enjoy success. To remember that you have allowed it all to glorify You and to make me more like Jesus. – In Jesus’ name, amen.
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
