When the Seasons Shift, Learning to Trust God’s Plan for Change
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As August comes to a close, the crisp, cool air and crunchy leaves welcome us to a new season. Back-to-school rhythms are in full swing, changing leaves show us their newest shades of burnt oranges and vibrant reds, and cooler mornings remind us that something new is coming. Unlike my husband’s adoration of all 4 seasons, however, I’ve always struggled with change—change of the weather and change in general.
While nature’s seasons are beautiful, they also parallel seasons of change in our lives. Whether you like change or not, perhaps this shift can teach us something valuable. And so I ask us to ponder one central question: What does it look like to prepare our hearts for change?
Recognizing the Signs of Change
There is beauty in transition. It might not always feel this way, but there is something beautiful about growth and development over time. I do prefer a year-long summer, but over the years, I’ve learned that recognizing the signs of change can actually be of great benefit.
Just as leaves hint at autumn, our hearts can sense shifts before they fully arrive. What do I mean by this? Let’s look at the example of the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32: “from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command” (NIV). In this passage, 1 Chronicles lists all the men who joined David at Ziklag and Hebron. While David was an incredible man of God after the Lord’s heart, he didn’t face his battles alone. Each of the warriors that supported him was skilled and wise in their own way. Hence, the men of Issachar were known for understanding the times and providing guidance and wisdom when it came to knowing what Israel should do.
In the same way, it’s important for us as warriors of Christ to pay attention to spiritual and emotional signals of transition. Just as David’s men were skilled in noticing the signals on the battlefield (when to move, defend, or change strategies), we need to be attuned to the Spirit’s speaking and guidance in our lives. This could be spiritual (such as a new calling, deeper growth, or conviction), but also deeply emotional, such as paying attention to restlessness, peace, or weariness that signals something needs to change.
As followers of Jesus, we need to be attentive to the inner signs God gives us through the power of the Holy Spirit and our emotions—that He’s moving us into a new season or direction. For example, when I’ve noticed that I grow uncomfortable and sad with the shift of the seasons, that means it’s time for me to pause and reflect with the Lord instead of pushing down my feelings or being busy.
Letting Go of What Belongs to the Last Season
Fall, specifically, gives us the opportunity to release. As trees shed leaves to prepare for new lives, so can we. Ecclesiastes 3 makes it clear that there is a season for everything in our lives. But this also means that at some point, we will be required to let go of what belongs to one season so that we can make room and prepare for the next. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 describes the phenomenon this way:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (NIV).
In this set of reflections, you’ll notice a list of both positive and negative attributes with change. I think that’s normal and healthy. It’s appropriate to grieve and rejoice when we face periods of change. It’s scary and exciting. It’s a reason to reflect and long for the past. There needs to be room for both.
But as we process these changes, we can choose to reflect on the importance of letting go of old habits, attitudes, or concerns that no longer serve us, and ask the Lord to open our eyes to what’s fresh and new in this season. As Hebrews 12:1 reminds us, with the Lord, we can throw off the old and cling to the new through repentance, confession, thanksgiving, and action:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (NIV).
This process of exchanging the old for the new isn’t easy, especially when it’s been a pattern for us. But fall shows us that beauty can come from hard things. This season, and no matter the season, let us embrace the rest and renewal that can come from a new place.