Winter has the power for greater potential. There is power in winter that lays dormant. We don’t often see it though.
Seeds are waiting for spring, to grow and blossom. And just as those seeds are lying dormant, so am I. So are you. Spring will come, whether I’m ready or not. Will you be prepared for it?
Winter is often brought on by death and loss. The death of someone close to you. Or from some type of loss:
- a job
- poor health
- emotional turbulence
- a season of conflict
- depression
These can bring about bitterness and a hard heart. A dry wasteland and desert not fit to sustain life.
Even with winter feeling like a wasteland and a desert, did I partake in the winter activities? Did I pray and prune in my “dead” season of winter to be ready when spring bursts forth? Is the wasteland and desert in my heart ready for the new move of God?
And suddenly the first sprouts of spring are on the scene.
Then God intervened. Spring is here. Creation rejoices!
The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. (Isaiah 35:1b NLT)
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon. (Isaiah 35:2b NLT)
God brought renewal, as only God can.
Everything has changed. Joy is returning.
Spring brings renewal…
With joy returning, spring brings three different types of renewal.
- Physical renewal: Healing and strengthening of our physical bodies.
- Emotional renewal: Healing and restoration for our soul.
- Moral renewal: A heart cleaning from bitterness, compromise, attitude, bad habits.
And with renewal comes a new desire to get up and go. While winter’s lack of energy and lethargy wants to make you go into hibernation, spring gives the energy to run!
And with that new found energy, there’s work to be done.
Be Fruitful in Spring
Three activities that are best be done in spring:
Plowing:
It’s time to prepare the soil.
In the Parable of the Sower, the seed is scattered on four different types of earth, and when Jesus interprets the parable for his disciples, he’s really speaking to how attentive people are to God’s word.
So plowing is about listening. Do you have ears to hear and eyes to see? Are you listening to what God is asking you to do in this new season?
Plowing is hard work. It takes work to break ground. You will need to decide if the effort is worth it, and how many fields you will plow, because “a field unplowed is an opportunity squandered.”1
Fall will come. Harvest will come. The plowing you do now determines what your harvest will look like.
Planting:
In spring it’s time to plant. The seeds need to be put into the ground to grow.
Those fields you plowed, need planting, or you don’t receive a harvest.
So what are you planting? You need to plant something. Plant at least one thing, otherwise there is no harvest.
“Spring gives us a window in which, if we steward the moment well, we will reap a harvest later on; if we don’t, we may not get a second chance. And next winter might be scarce.”1
Review your spiritual habits and plant something new.
Cleaning:
Spring is also a time of cleaning. You have renewed energy, and you can finally get outdoors! It’s the best time to clean, which is why this is the season when most people do their ‘spring cleaning.’
Like cleaning out your house, garage, or shed, it’s a time to clean out your heart.
It’s a time to look at the activities in your life and see the patterns.
Ask yourself a few questions:
- When was I most excited, focused, fulfilled, fruitful today?
- When was I most indifferent, distracted, discontent, unfruitful today?
- When did God feel closest?
- When did God feel farthest?
Using questions like these, take a look at the clutter, the dirt, the dust. Then separate what you deem to be fruitful from the unfruitful.
Look at your attitudes, your thinking, your relationships and decide what needs to be cleaned.
This will allow you to work out of joy and strength, helping you be more effective, intentional, productive, and purposeful in what you do.
Spring is a season of hard work. We each want a bountiful harvest. So find a field, at least one, hopefully more, that God is asking you to plow and plant. Do the spring cleaning necessary.
Summer is on the horizon, and spring is short.
If you are in a season of spring, what field(s) are you plowing and planting? What spring cleaning needs to be done in your life? Share in the comments below, you just might give someone else perspective on something they can do in their own life.
1Buchanan, M. (2010). Spiritual Rhythm: Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.