Whether moving from Spring to Summer, from an old job to a new job or from one stage of life into the next (congrats Grads!), changing seasons represents an opportunity. We can either allow the pace of life to sweep us downstream without considering the possibilities of our new season, or we can take the time at the outset to ponder how we could show up differently and take full advantage of the moment.
As we stand on the precipice of Summer, I invite you to take the latter approach. Don’t let this new season simply happen to you and your family; approach it with the kind of intentionality that could produce something extraordinary by asking 3 simple questions:
1). What could we learn? Don’t fall into the trap of assuming you already know everything you need to know in order to succeed in a new season. We’re never finished learning, which is part of the gift of having access to the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent the Spirit as a teacher for us, one who can remind us of Jesus’s teaching and guide us into new understanding of God’s desire for our lives. What could you learn this Summer about who God is or who you are? If you know what you need to learn, ask the Spirit to teach you. If you don’t know what you need to learn, ask God to reveal it to you.
2). How could we serve? Service isn’t a mere suggestion for those who follow Jesus; service is a way of life. As we’ve said a few times in the last few weeks, God blessed every one of us with unique talents and gifts. Those talents weren’t given for our benefit alone; rather, our gifts are meant to be deployed for the sake of the world around us. Yet as longtime followers of Jesus can attest, putting our gifts to work has a unique way of blessing us as well as those whom we serve.
3). Who can we love? New seasons may put us in touch with new people. Are we looking at the world around us- coworkers, family, neighbors- through God’s eyes? Are we wondering who around us needs a particular word of encouragement or act of kindness? Are we sensitive to the chances that come our way to love people by showing them who Jesus is?
These 3 questions could change the course of your next season. Don’t sit back and just ‘see what happens.’ Charge into the possibilities that lay ahead and see where God might lead you.
