The simple answer is no; God never forgets about us.
Oftentimes, if you’re feeling like He isn’t making His calling for you known, the way to feel confident again is to discover what season you are in.
Just as a farmer would never sow a garden in winter or harvest in spring, the season your life is in dictates what you should be doing and when. If you don’t know what season you’re in, you won’t know what to do.
For example, I hate winter. I know, I’m not supposed to hate any of God’s creation, but truth be told, I hold great disdain for snow and cold weather. Yet, when December hits, it doesn’t matter how much I dislike the cold, it’s here and it’s my job to do what I need to do to survive the season.
I love summer, but could you imagine how foolish it would be if I were planting flowers and running around in a t-shirt in the middle of January simply because I refused to embrace the season I was in?
The same is true for the seasons in our lives. We often hear preachers preaching about your harvest coming, and while God does want to bless you abundantly, there are other seasons that precede harvest season.
Just ask the farmers. They are very familiar with the seasons and they plan accordingly.
So let’s take a moment to learn about the three seasons of purpose and finding your gift from God.
First comes Planting.
Planting is a time when we put into the ground what we hope to get out of it in due season. We can also compare this to the law of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6:7 reminds us that God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, he will also reap. And 2 Corinthians 9:6 makes a strong point in saying, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
If you are in a season of planting, you would do well to plant what you need to plant. I’ve learned that if I’m looking for harvest in a certain area of life, I do well to plant into the lives of others in a similar way.
The next season is Growth.
In the growing season, there really isn’t much we can do other than cultivate what we planted. I often call this season the messy middle. It’s where you are between the excitement of starting and the anticipation of the harvest. It’s also where most people grumble, complain, and lose faith.
You would never see a farmer going out to his field everyday cursing the ground he planted and demanding to see the harvest now or he’s giving up. Just the image of that is insane, but Christians do that sometimes. We say, “God needs to show me right now,” and then get caught in frustration and confusion. There’s no reason to be frustrated in the season of growth. In this season, you would do well to allow God to do what He needs to do in the background and stop fretting.
The final season is Harvest.
In the harvest season, we get to gather the abundance of all that we planted. This is the season where the blessings are pouring in. While this is a wonderful season, many make the mistake of expecting the harvest season to last and last. This is not natural, nor is it scriptural. After your harvest season, you will need to cultivate your soil in preparation for new plantings and the process begins all over again.
Yes, sometimes, you will reap what you didn’t sow, you will gather a harvest that you didn’t plant, but that’s up to God. If that’s your life strategy, you may find yourself forever frustrated and falling short of your purpose.
If you’re still finding your gift from God and the purpose He has for your life, know that you’re not alone. God has promised to guide and direct our steps if we trust in Him and seek Him with all our hearts. As you journey towards finding your gift from God, it’s important to remember that God has a special plan and purpose for your life (Jer 29:11). To truly walk in your God-given purpose, you must be willing to embrace all the seasons God takes you through.
