When seasons change

In the beginning, when God was busy creating the world, His Word tells us repeatedly in Genesis Chapter 1 after each part was completed “And God saw that it was GOOD”, so I believe that if we want to see the perfect will of God, and the ways of God, (that is, what He considered good) we should look at creation, at learn from our natural surroundings.

The story of creation paints a hierarchy for us, with man at the top, the only creation that carries the breath of God, created to rule and reign over wild animals. Followed by the Animals, and then the plants, created to provide food for man and for animals. This is God’s original hierarchy.

Another part of God’s original design is that every part of the world, regardless of climate, goes through seasons. The definition of a season is a time characterised by a particular circumstance. Climate is the usual weather conditions in a particular place or region, the usual or most widespread mood or conditions in a place, the prevailing influence or environmental conditions characterising a group or period.

For example, Durban has a humid sub-tropical climate that closely borders a tropical wet and dry CLIMATE. Therefore the summers are hot and pleasantly warm and the winters are pleasantly warm, dry and frost-free. This is because although the seasons will change, the climate does not change, and this is the lesson that we should take from nature as children of the Most High God.

On the subject of Climate Control, in our spiritual walk, another key definition is that of Control, which is the power to make decisions about something, to have power over something (to rule or reign) or to exercise restraining or directing influence over (to regulate).

Ecclesiastes 3 v 1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. This chapter goes on to contrast the good times and the bad times and in verse 15 it says, “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before.” Nothing is new under the sun, God warned us that there will be seasons that circumstances would keep changing in our lives.

So if God let you know that there would be seasons, and the definition says it is a period of time, why do you panic when seasons shift? Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Anxiety is the state of being concerned about the future, but if we know that seasons change, everything that is has been before, and what will come already was, why do we become anxious about season changes, when we are the ones who should be ruling and reigning on this earth.

In order for us to be able to cultivate the fruits that God requires from us, we need to maintain the optimum climate in our lives. Our optimum climate as children of God is found in Philippians 4 verse 8 “..whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

The answer to the question, what to do when seasons change is STAND. Remain in your God-given climate. It gets hard. It has to be, that’s why it is the portion of only those who have chosen to embrace that they are at the top of God’s hierarchy, and are willing to fight for their inheritance.

Spiritual laws are observable in nature. Even trees, who are at the lowest level of the hierarchy of creation, know that though the winter comes and seems to take all the life out of you, with the dry twigs and not a green leaf to your name, the summer WILL definitely come, so they stand in one place, they don’t relocate, they stand.

Birds migrate, because God gave them wings, so since God did not give us wings, we can deduce that His intention for us was not that we uproot ourselves in the winters of your life, and panic, looking for a haven somewhere, but that we stand and, like Paul will be able to one day say, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both [to make do with little] and I know how [to have an abundance]. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both [to have an abundance] and to go without. I am able to do all things by the one who strengthens me”

Trees; that are at the bottom of the creation hierarchy, do exactly what Paul said here, they stand through whatever comes. What will be said of you, who was supposed to be at the top of the hierarchy?

2 Corinthians 10 v 5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Listen to worship music, surround yourself with company that speaks the Word, and remain plugged in to your local church. Do whatever it takes to equip you to be able to uproot the things that threaten your optimal climate.

You cannot grow strawberries in a climate that is prone to frost, they’ll be destroyed. In the same way, you can’t bear Godly fruit unless you optimise the climate back to Philippians 4 v 8 in your mind. 2 Timothy 11-12 “The saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him…”

Reign, child of God.