Seasonality

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Back in January, my heart was on fire for God. It was a new year, a new time and a new attitude. There were not many distractions for me at that time and I could not help but feel ambitious about the upcoming year. I was dedicated to growing in my faith. I was pursuing any, and all, possible ways to regulate this growth. I was praying daily, filling my life with Scripture and openly discussing my spiritual ambitions. In short, I was bearing fruit.

Here it is, April, and I wonder where my enthusiasm has gone. Of course, my heart continues to long for God and I do want to grow in my faith, but these days, life seems a little less…still. Work is busier. With the new season came a scarcity of time and motivation. I am finding myself hoarding away the fruit I beared in January for fear that it will not come again this year. My biggest fear: The rest of 2010 will be a period of stationary faith and personal fruitlessness.

Psalm 1:3
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…” – NIV

When we read the Bible, it seems like the lives of the disciples are always in bloom. They are constantly praising God, suffering for the cross and devoting their lives to serving Christ. By comparison, we should be ashamed of ourselves, right?

What believers fail to see is the time of inactivity. No Christian is fruitful all of the time. Truth be told, even Paul, Peter and Jesus had seasons of idleness. There were many silent years of Jesus Christ that we know nothing about, times of preparation and peacefulness. Should the expectations for our own lives be so different?

Where the problem lies is with those who never know a season of productivity. While it is true that no Christian is fruitful constantly, it is also true that no Christian is never fruitful. We must use our dormant time as a season of preparation and discernment.

However, following this rest will come a call into action, and when we hear the call, we must be ready to produce a crop.