Fall is my all-time favorite season! The colors, textures, smells and crispness in the air all minister to my soul and to my senses. My love of aesthetics is fulfilled as I drive around taking in my surroundings. I marvel at the beautiful array of colors I see. The beautiful hues and colors of God’s majesty manifest themselves in rich jewel tones of burgundy, orange, red, emerald, magenta, goldenrod and purple. As the trees change color they begin to shed their leaves. The leaves fall because they are dying. Their season is complete. 🍂🍁

As I take in the splendor of it all, I am reminded that God has appointed the seasons. A time to live and a time to die.  He has appointed my seasons, too. As a Christ follower your seasons, too, are appointed by Him. To everything in life, there is a season. [see Ecclesiastes 3:1]  Seasons of life and seasons of ministry.  Seasons to begin things, seasons to end things. Spiritually speaking, a season is ‘an appointed time to carry out an activity or to fulfill a purpose’. In Biblical Greek, the word time (‘kairos’) is a season of strategic significance. Kairos, then, is a season that is set forth by God to accomplish His purposes.

Every Christ follower is called to a season of strategic significance for such a time as this for His purposes. [see Esther 4:14-17]  We don’t know how long a season will last, so it would behoove us to embrace the season we are in. Much unhappiness and disillusionment with life comes because we will not embrace the season we are in.  Whether we are married, single, divorced, a parent, stay-at-home mom, children, no children, waiting on children, raising children, struggling with issues, struggling with people, embracing life, empty-nester, employed, unemployed, healthy, ill, confident, doubter, etc., we are called to meet with God there. Right in that place.

Dear Reader, this is a season of strategic significance for you and for me. Do you believe it? Do you recognize what season you’re in? Are you embracing it? Does your current season bring about bitterness in your heart? Consider this: you are poised right now to be developed, challenged and changed to take on the brilliant Glory of Christ, just like the beautiful jewel toned leaves. Just as leaves display their most brilliant hues and colors when they are dying, we too look more and more like Christ when we ‘die to self’. Consider what keeps you from displaying the most brilliant Glory of Christ. As the fall changes to winter and you die to self‘, what do you need to put on to look more like Him? Is it humility, trust, hope, rest, compassion, gentleness, forgiveness, peace, patience, joy? Remember, you are a jewel.  A gem. A ‘displayer’ of the Glory of God.  Shine!

First Look: Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.  Look for phrases that describe what season you may be in. Journal about it and/or reflect on it. What is God saying to you about it?

Through The Looking Glass:  What old way of life is God calling you ‘to die to’ today?  Surrender.

“If you have really heard His voice and learned from Him the truths concerning Himself, then throw off your old evil nature…Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better.  Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good.  Clothe yourself with this new nature.”  Ephesians 4:21-24  LAB