The Seasons of Life | Spring

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

I love that we are walking through the book of Ecclesiastes, and how fitting that in this season we were able to listen to Michael speak on Ecclesiastes 3 on Sunday. I wanted to echo some of the sentiments that he brought up this week.

Life unfolds in seasons—each one held within the faithful care of God.

Spring brings forth new birth and fresh starts. And the “freshest of starts” that we can have IS the new birth. Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:3). In seasons of new beginnings, we learn to receive grace. We do not learn to earn it. As author and pastor Dallas Willard once stated:

“Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.”

Growth comes not from striving to earn God’s grace, but from responding to it.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Spring enters into life after a season of death and decay. A season where all the leaves have fallen off of the trees, the flowers have all withered and died, and all creation has suffered a little while. But when Spring comes forth all life is restored, not because of the relentless work of creation ‘pulling itself up by its bootstraps’ and powering through. But simply because the grace of God brings forth life again. 

As 1 Peter 5:10 communicates to us it is “Christ […] himself” that “restores, confirms, strengthens, and establishes you.” It is not by our own merits that we will find growth, but in the gracious work of Christ our King who will faithfully and graciously tend to the gardens of our lives and grow us.

My prayer in this upcoming season is that we all stand faithfully expecting the God of this universe to hold true to his promises. And know that he will graciously grow us.