Seasons of Your Life

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

This passage is rather direct, yet it speaks so much to me. A lot of time as human, we want everything to be done quickly, we want to see immediate results, we want to do everything our way. But timing is indeed everything. Emotionally we might feel that it is the right time to do or say certain things. But rationally, if we calm down and think, if we put aside emotions (happy or sad), we might realize that certain times are not the right for us to do or say or act on certain things.

Talk about as a discipler, discipling a member, rebuking them when they make mistakes is the right thing to do. But not the right thing or the right place if it is in public. So, we need to bring them aside to rebuke and correct at the right TIME...or when a discipler or a disciple is angry, emotional, it is not the right time to correct. Wait for both parties to calm down, then do what we need to do..When we are emotionally provoked, it is easy for us to say the wrong thing, and it is easy for the disciple to shut down. Or talk about wanting to surprise a person. We might be very excited, we want to quickly surprise a person. But if we are overwhelmed by the excitement, we do not wait for the right time to reveal things, or perhaps we cannot contain it anymore and begin to pour out the surprises. What would happen? The surprise would be ruined! 

Or talk about teaching someone for instance. If the person has already shut down, or not listening anymore, it is obvious the person is not interested, persisting teaching would only make that person shut down even more and learn nothing in return. If we do not know how to STOP at the right time, thing would become very naggy and uninteresting. And the person would eventually probably refuse listening to us in future for the perception they have concerning the teacher in their mind.

Therefore, the right time, the right season, the right amount the right thing the right words are ALL very important. We have to be able to gauge, to measure and to decide when is the right time. Timing is everything. If in a season, we have too many responsibilities, and we can barely handle what is in our hands, then accepting more responsibilities is not applicable at that point of time. Yes, exposure and expansion are important, but timing is everything. If we start a relationship at a time that we are not ready, it would also be a disastrous relationship.  If we promote a leader at a wrong time, a time he or she is not ready, we would also bring downfall to the leadership team as well as the followers' lives.

Therefore, how do we know when is the right time? Walk closely with God. The right timing for certain things is when God says it is the right timing. When we feel ready, when we feel we can handle with a little bit of expansion in faith and sacrifice (not unwisely), when know the season we are in for a certain thing. Therefore, I always believe it is IMPORTANT to know what kind of season we are in all the time. I always remind myself of the season I am in all the time (you can even see it in my MSN nick....season to build, or season of expansion, season to love, etc)...according to the season I am in , I decide on the things I want to focus on. I do not let the things I do to decide the season I am in, I need God to let me KNOW the season I am in, and decide what I do...

Verse 9 says: 

 ⁹ What does the worker gain from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on men. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. 

God has indeed make everything beautiful in His timing. Sometimes we do not know why we are going through certain things at a certain time. But in due season, at the right time, God always reveal to us His plans, and why He did the things He did. And it is all beautiful. We will learn to discover in amazement and find it really beautiful. Man cannot guess what God has planned for us, what God has in store for us from the beginning to the end even though we know that God already has a plan for us. That is called the mystery of God. And so long as  human....continue to do good, no matter what plans God has for us (be it if we go through good times or bad times), so long as we do good, stay happy, draw strength from God, have faith and trust God, find joy in His strength, we will be satisfied....even when we are IN ALL HIS TOIL....even when we are going through worst time of our life. And that is the gift of God for us. That despite of whatever we go through, we can still CHOOSE to be happy and trust Him. And He will still make our lives BEAUTIFUL. In different season of different timing, we can still be assured that He is in control of the different plans He has for us.

If we understand like the writer above, about who God really is. That God endures forever, God will never make mistakes, and God knows what He is doing, that nothing can ruin His plan, not the enemy, not what we go through, not what we think we know.....then we would learn to trust God in all circumstances. When we learn to be SECURE in ALL SEASONS of our lives, be it a season to build, a season to cry, a season to suffer, a season to learn, a season to enjoy, or a season to grow.....we will find much joy in every season. We will learn to be so grateful and appreciative of every situation we go through...and we will understand the season we go through by and by....

But we need to understand that God is in control, and nothing is a mistake. We need to learn and believe that God knows what He is doing, and our trust and security in Him, does make a difference in how we journey through all the seasons He has planned for us. Know that God has  plans only to prosper us, never to harm us. I have personally gone through many seasons with God, and each time God reign victoriously. Each time I learned a lot, each time I learn to understand God better, and I grow more in love and appreciative of all the plans He has for me. Timing...is everything. Don't try to outsmart God. Don't try to tell God what to do. Don't try to change your season, and don't try to understand everything. You are not God. Just journey your season and know the Creator and Planner of the season of your life. Take time to know Him better. You will find this journey a very very amazing and beautiful one. Trust me, you will turn back and  not regret one bit. I have stories upon stories to back this up.

Feel free to ask me, if  you want to know about it :))

But most importantly, know the season you are in with God. God will impress it upon your heart. It is like your life theme for the particular period of time. If you know your season, you would know the right time to do the right things. Therefore, the question I have for you to ponder upon today is this: ...what season are you in, my friends? 

Hope you are blessed today!

With much love