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From Stuck to Moving On—Welcoming New Seasons in Your Life

In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon lists a total of twenty-eight seasons. These are just snapshots of the types of seasons you are likely to experience over the course of your lifetime.

Recognizing the season you’re in helps to simplify your life by giving you a tangible target on which to focus your growth, energies, and direction. It equips you to be more fully present and engaged. It brings a single-minded clarity to your days. You are more likely to notice God’s active hand, to learn the lessons He has for you, and to maximize the character development, wisdom, and spiritual growth opportunities that each season holds.

It’s also important to identify your current season so that, when the season comes to a close, you’ll be less likely to cling to it, and more apt to make a graceful exit and step wholeheartedly into the new season that is dawning.

You aren’t in your current season by accident. God’s hand is in it, and there’s a purpose to His activity. What does God want to teach you during this unique, never-to-be-exactly-repeated season?

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon seeks to define the meaning and purpose of life. He challenges readers to find sustainable satisfaction by investing their lives in things that matter for eternity. Too many people—Christ followers included—are spinning out of control. We act as if we don’t have a clue about God’s narrative for our lives.

There’s a reason for every season in your life—good or bad, easy or challenging, rewarding or draining. When you’re in a hard season, it’s very tempting to want to “medicate” yourself (which could be through food, alcohol, distractions, busyness, etc.). It’s easy to want to put on the blinders, escape the discomfort, and ignore reality. If you’re a Christ follower, God is continually working to refine your character and make you more like Jesus. He has good lessons to teach you, especially in the uncomfortable, restless, painful seasons of your life. What are those lessons? Don’t squander the opportunities for growth that come with the hard seasons. Learn all you can during them.

Question for reflection: How would you describe your current season? What are the lessons God wants to teach you this season?