Thankful in Every Season
Saying goodbye to anyone, anything, or any period of life often brings great pain. It might be a season of a job or a season of raising children, but no matter the season, it is just that—a season. Just as the earth changes seasons throughout the year, your life does as well. Sometimes we welcome the change, and other times we grieve it. Regardless, we must endure everything we have to go through.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.- Ecclesiastes 3:1
I love how God created the earth to go through seasons of change. Personally, I thrive in the fall season. Fried to a crisp from the summer heat, I love all the feelings of fall: the weather, the smells, the upcoming holidays. However, by the middle of winter, I’m ready for the sun again. Tired of freezing and being inside, I want my friend, Sunshine, to come warm me back up.
Our lives mimic this same pattern. We aren’t always ready for the change in season, but it still comes. The next season may not be our favorite season. It may be really difficult, but soon enough, a change comes again and life continues in this way.
How do we learn to love the season we are in?
James 1:2-4 tells us: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
When I was younger I remember hearing things like, “Don’t pray for patience. God will give you opportunities to be patient.” Most of us don’t love practicing patience. There was a time where I would be careful what I asked God for because I didn’t want to go through any hardship to get what I ultimately wanted.
How often do we want things from God but we don’t consider that God is giving us the very things we need and want through the seasons of life? I think we like to view God as if He is just passing down peace, patience, jobs, money, and faith; and we tend to get frustrated that we were left out. Often, we don’t realize that what we want from God is absolutely coming our way. In fact, we might be right smack dab in the middle of receiving it. We just happen to need to go through some life to obtain it. There’s a season that’s necessary for you to endure, to grow and mature in your faith in Christ.
My challenge for you today would be this: don’t wait until you finally reach the end of your season to thank and praise God. Why not practice thanking Him now for what He is doing and what He will do? James tells us, “for YOU KNOW that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” We know this, ya’ll! When things are hard, how easy it is to forget that when we step over into the next season of our life, we will look back and praise Him for all He has done. We will see ourselves as stronger in our faith. Instead of waiting until the season is over, consider thankfulness today. Practice having joy today. Pray when you don’t want to pray. Thank God when you aren’t feeling thankful. Thank Him when the answer to your prayer seems lightyears away. We do this because of our faith. We know God is going to move, so thank Him before the move. This is true faith.
Let your endurance grow.
ACTIVATION: Take time today to thank God for what He is doing and for what He will do in your life. If you journal, write down specific praise for the season of your life that you are in. Put a date on it. You will one day be able to look back and remember this time, what you endured, and how you came out on the other side.
PRAYER: God, I thank You that You have not once left my side in any season of my life. You have always been there, guiding and directing me. Continue to grow my faith. Continue to mature me in the things that matter in this life. I just want more of You. Amen.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.- Ecclesiastes 3:1
I love how God created the earth to go through seasons of change. Personally, I thrive in the fall season. Fried to a crisp from the summer heat, I love all the feelings of fall: the weather, the smells, the upcoming holidays. However, by the middle of winter, I’m ready for the sun again. Tired of freezing and being inside, I want my friend, Sunshine, to come warm me back up.
Our lives mimic this same pattern. We aren’t always ready for the change in season, but it still comes. The next season may not be our favorite season. It may be really difficult, but soon enough, a change comes again and life continues in this way.
How do we learn to love the season we are in?
James 1:2-4 tells us: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
When I was younger I remember hearing things like, “Don’t pray for patience. God will give you opportunities to be patient.” Most of us don’t love practicing patience. There was a time where I would be careful what I asked God for because I didn’t want to go through any hardship to get what I ultimately wanted.
How often do we want things from God but we don’t consider that God is giving us the very things we need and want through the seasons of life? I think we like to view God as if He is just passing down peace, patience, jobs, money, and faith; and we tend to get frustrated that we were left out. Often, we don’t realize that what we want from God is absolutely coming our way. In fact, we might be right smack dab in the middle of receiving it. We just happen to need to go through some life to obtain it. There’s a season that’s necessary for you to endure, to grow and mature in your faith in Christ.
My challenge for you today would be this: don’t wait until you finally reach the end of your season to thank and praise God. Why not practice thanking Him now for what He is doing and what He will do? James tells us, “for YOU KNOW that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” We know this, ya’ll! When things are hard, how easy it is to forget that when we step over into the next season of our life, we will look back and praise Him for all He has done. We will see ourselves as stronger in our faith. Instead of waiting until the season is over, consider thankfulness today. Practice having joy today. Pray when you don’t want to pray. Thank God when you aren’t feeling thankful. Thank Him when the answer to your prayer seems lightyears away. We do this because of our faith. We know God is going to move, so thank Him before the move. This is true faith.
Let your endurance grow.
ACTIVATION: Take time today to thank God for what He is doing and for what He will do in your life. If you journal, write down specific praise for the season of your life that you are in. Put a date on it. You will one day be able to look back and remember this time, what you endured, and how you came out on the other side.
PRAYER: God, I thank You that You have not once left my side in any season of my life. You have always been there, guiding and directing me. Continue to grow my faith. Continue to mature me in the things that matter in this life. I just want more of You. Amen.
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2 Comments
Love! Love! Love!
So good! ❤️