5 SIGNS GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR A NEW SEASON

While detecting the signs of seasonal changes in the physical world is easy and obvious for us, knowing when we need to change something in our personal lives can be a little more difficult to assess. Learn the five signs that God may be preparing you for a new season.

ARE YOU HEADING TOWARD A NEW SEASON?

Most of us living in North America are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring. Amen? And although it takes its good sweet time to arrive here in northeast Ohio, my senses are on high alert, looking for any sign to tell me it is on its way! I look out my office window and see the sun’s rays making dappled shadows through the trees, hear the birds singing sweet songs, smell the grass coming back to life, feel the gentle breeze blow softly through the small crack in my window, and touch the early buds holding the promise of new life.

Nature seems to know when and how to change effortlessly, beautifully, timely.

But what about the changing seasons of our lives?

• How do you know if you need to change?
• What are the signs?
• And, more importantly, how do you handle change?

It reminds me of the lines from the Fleetwood Mac song, “Landslide”:

Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?“

Newness, change, and transition can either stimulate and energize us or worry and discourage us. We can choose to embrace change or run away from it, but either way, change is inevitable. The song goes on…

Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you.”

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS YOUR CHANGING SEASON

New seasons come in every sphere of our lives: family, career, relationships, community, mental and/or physical health, or church. We can experience seasonal changes on many different levels: physically, emotionally, relationally, financially, mentally, and spiritually.

Almost all of us have experienced significant changes in the last few years due to the global pandemic. Collectively the impact has been enormous, touching our cities, communities, churches, schools, and workplaces. We have had to adjust everything from where we go to who we see to how we work and how we carry out daily living.

But within this context, we have had individual variations, disruptions, and transitions.

Hopefully, we are all moving toward a metaphorical spring where new life will burst forth as we regain some sense of normalcy…a new season is dawning for all of us!

Think about your life right now and try to identify signs of seasonal changes in your life (don’t be surprised if there is more than one!).

• Times of transition can uncover worry, stress, and fear. Are you anxious or excited about resuming some of your routine activities? How do you feel about being reunited with friends, family, and/or co-workers from whom you have been separated? Do you wonder how you will adjust to this “new normal”?
• Have there been recent changes in your relationships? Maybe a friend is moving away, someone new is coming into your life, or you are dealing with the loss of a loved one.
• Are you facing adjustments as a parent? As children grow and transition, parents must adjust too. Is your family welcoming a new child, or is one leaving the nest? Maybe you are considering adoption or becoming a foster parent.
• Changes also can happen in jobs and careers. Are you sensing a season of growth, a relocation, or a move in a completely new direction? What kind of impact of changing where and how you work has had on you?
• Are you experiencing differences in your physical or mental health? You might be recovering from an illness, trying a new way of eating/exercising, or dealing with a recent diagnosis.

Our spiritual lives, marriages, and friendships also experience seasonal changes.

WHY WE NEED TO EMBRACE NEW SEASONS

“The only constant in life is change.” This piece of wisdom from an ancient philosopher, Heraclitus, who lived thousands of years ago, is just as timely and relevant for us living in the 21st century.

Although many of us may have felt stuck in a dormant and lifeless season this past year, many things were still happening in the depths of the deep, dark soil.

There are two things you can know for sure about new seasons in life:  

• New seasons inevitably bring change.
• Change is necessary for growth.

We often resist the truth that life is seasonal, don’t we? While we are in one season, we cannot help but wish, hope, and pray that we are in another. And when the new season arrives, we longingly remember days past.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT NEW SEASONS

GOD IS IN CONTROL OF NEW SEASONS

The most important thing we can understand to help us survive and thrive in new seasons of our lives is that we are not in control. Let me say that again...there are many aspects of change that are out of our control. Time, for example. We cannot reverse it, revisit the past, or reveal the future.

He changes the times and the seasons…” 

Daniel 2:21 (ESV)

This does not mean that we cannot or should not plan and prepare for changes in our lives, but our perspective should be realistic and humble. Giving up control to God permits us to be present during each phase of our lives and avoid worrying about the changes ahead.  It also enables us to trust God with both the good and bad aspects that each season can bring, knowing no season lasts forever and that he has a purpose and plan for everything.

IT TAKES COURAGE & COMMITMENT TO WEATHER THE CHANGING SEASONS

Giving up control is an act of bravery that allows us to push past surviving to thriving during difficult transitions. It takes more courage to weather a season of drought, loss, or barrenness than it does to go harvesting where we have not planted. Like many of you, I feel that I need to see something good come out of dry, desert seasons.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

We will often plant in one season but not reap until another season.

• Waiting for a job to turn into a meaningful career.
• Waiting for a relationship to blossom and grow.
• Waiting for a child to take ownership and responsibility.

It is so easy to lose faith and hope during the season of planting as you stare at dirt fields waiting to see signs of life. You may find yourself in a season where the seeds you have been sowing do not appear to be producing an immediate crop. Do not give up or lose heart; there is no regular timetable for the harvest of life. Some crops you reap quickly; others take a long time.  

WE CAN EXPERIENCE CONTENTMENT IN EVERY SEASON

Once we give God control and take courage in what we can do during each new season in life, the result is contentment. We can thrive amidst significant life changes that may be sudden, unexpected, and life-altering because we have peace that God will take care of us no matter what happens.

It allows us to rely fully on God’s promise in Ecclesiastes 3:11:

Yet God has made everything beautiful in its own time.”

Contentment changes our perspective. It is not putting a fake smile on your face and pretending everything is picture-perfect when it is not. It is, however, acknowledging that even through seasons of doubt, pain, anxiety, and loneliness, we can choose to trust God instead of our circumstances.

5 SIGNS GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR A NEW SEASON

Just like our five senses tell us that spring is right around the corner, we can also use them to gauge whether we are approaching a time of transition or change in our lives. Look for these signs that God may be giving you to signal the approach of a new season.

1) YOU ARE SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Are you looking at people, places, and things with new eyes? Is God showing you things that you may not have seen before? Pay attention! Resist the urge to put on the rose-colored glasses and allow yourself to see the world as it really is, and you will discover what may need to change. If God is opening your eyes, look closely.

2) YOU ARE EXPERIENCING NEW EMOTIONS

Are you able to verbalize and name your emotions? Do you have a sense of restlessness and longing? Do things move you differently? Do not minimize or ignore how the spirit of God may be opening you up to feel and experience new things. If this is happening often, you may be ready for a change.

3) YOU HAVE A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF HEARING

What is your inner voice telling you? What do you hear others saying? Does it seem like you are hearing things for the very first time? Is God speaking to you through the Bible, a song, or the words of others? Quiet your soul and listen. You may miss crucial directions for change if you do not practice active listening.

4) SOME THINGS DON’T SMELL RIGHT ANYMORE

Are you upset by things that never used to bother you before? Do some things in your life “stink” in a way that you can no longer ignore them? Is the smell of fear, doubt, and failure so overwhelming that you are ready to remove it from your life? Do not try to cover up the smell with an artificial air freshener. Take out the trash of your past that may be holding you back from making necessary changes.

5) YOU HAVE LOST YOUR TASTE FOR THE STATUS QUO

Are your routines and relationships becoming bland and unappetizing? Have you lost your appetite for taking risks, dreaming dreams, or exploring new horizons? Do you want some zest in your life? Don’t settle for the status quo and stagnate where you are. Ask God for faith to taste and try new things.

FREE GUIDE TO DISCOVERING THE 5 SIGNS FOR A NEW SEASON

New seasons are a part of life for everyone. Whether the arrival of a different season brings you excitement or anxiety, you can detect the signs by opening your eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to what God may be showing you. I hope you find this guide, 5 SIGNS GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR A NEW SEASON, a helpful resource as you learn to embrace change and growth.

MORE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU EMBRACE NEW SEASONS

For more practical resources on how to grow spiritually as you encounter new seasons, please check out my FREE FAITH PRINTABLES page to find other guides on prayer, soul care, and spiritual breakthroughs.

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