The Bible tells us that we come across different seasons in our lives. Some of these seasons are tough, while some are great. Some are for doing new things, while some involve waiting. Ecclesiastes 3 says ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…a time to plant and a time to uproot… a time to weep and a time to laugh...a time to be silent and a time to speak’ (vv.1-7 NIV). Even in the tough seasons, we can be fruitful. We can ‘be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit’ (Jeremiah 17:8 NIV). We can be fruitful in every season; it just won’t be the same kind of fruitful in all seasons. Some seasons are for training and discipline. That’s when we begin to see God’s purposes for our lives and can prepare. Others are for growing the seeds that have been planted. And others are for giving out and sharing the fruit with others. Our attitude in these seasons is key. When we’re in a tough season are we praying for it to end, or are we looking for the ways that God is working through it? When we’re in a great season are we really focused on being fruitful or just enjoying the good times? Whatever we’re facing, what we can know for sure is that through every season God is with us, guiding us, comforting us, encouraging us and growing us. We just need to make sure we’re rooted in Him, always.

What now?
Get a diary or a calendar and colour-code each season of your life. When you feel you’re going through a season of training, mark those days in on colour. Use a different colour for seasons of growth, fruitfulness, etc. Learn to recognise each one.