Seasons: Part II
In my last blog titled, "Seasons: Part I," I discussed how I wanted to approached the topic of seasons of life as found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 along with other areas of the Bible. I only got through verses 1-2 and I am finally picking up tonight at Ecclesiastes 3:3,
Solomon wrote in verse 1, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:" He went on in verse 3 to write, "a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;"
The interesting thing I am finding in my own life is I had this whole "Christian thing" all wrong. Many times we feel like if we are Christian we aren't to be judged or looked at wrong or treated poorly and everything is supposed to be perfect in life. In fact, as we read what Solomon says here, he is telling us that there is a time for good indeed, but there is also a time for struggle.
As we read verse three some in todays society may say, "well that's just not very Christian! A time to kill? You cant say that in church!" What we have to keep in mind is the times Solomon lived in. It was a time of war. A time when God was sending His soldiers to war for HIS good purposes. No, I am not saying war is a good thing. As a Marine I understand it and Id obey my commanding officers regardless of if I agree with them or not because they were put a position to lead by people far smarter than I am. The problem in American society today is everyone wants to be in charge. If things do not go the way I believe they should, I want to throw a tantrum and break things and threaten others all in the name of...... fairness?
Let us look at this verse from a different perspective. Let us personalize it and see how much more sense the Bible can make when applied to MY life and not in a judgmental fashion. I believe the Bible was meant to be personalized which is why last year I started writing the "MLRV" or Mike Lawson Recovery Version of the Bible where I read a chapter and translate it to what I believe God is speaking to me about recovery (long process).
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3 (MLRV),"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:" 3 "a time to kill my flesh and ego, a time to heal my spirit; a time to break down my personal desires, a time to build up the spirit that lives in me."
See, when we stop looking for the wrongs in everyone else and start looking for what can be addressed in MY life, I can then start to be a light instead of an overbearing shadow. As they say in recovery, "if I'm not the problem there is no solution." I am also a firm believer that the ONLY things in life I have control over are MY actions and MY reactions to other people, places, or things. So why do we feel like we need to control everyone else around us and what they believe or do or say?
I once heard a pastor say, "stop arguing with people on Facebook. No one ever won someone to Jesus by arguing their point." I thought, this is exactly what happens. We engage in theological debates as if we have it all figured out and we end up hurting more people than we are helping. Instead, what if we died to our ego of "I'm right and your wrong" and we allowed ourselves to live by example instead of forcing others to live how we think they should live?
The point is this; there are seasons in life where I have to sit down, take a break, look at my own "stuff" and start killing or pruning some things away so that God can start healing me from within. I have to bread down my personal desires of ministry, money, leadership, or whatever it is I desire the most and let God build the spirit within me.
I am at a point in my life as we speak where God has had to sit me down, break me down, kill my ego, and start to build me from within. Although some will not agree with "how much time" I sat out, it is ultimately up to God to open the doors and windows of opportunity when HE sees fit. The keepers of the laws were angry when Jesus worked on the Sabbath. If Jesus decides when is right, then who are we to put time frames on things? Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector, Saul (Paul) was a murderer, Moses was a murderer, and the list goes on and on. Yet, God decided when it was time to use them. Its not a calendar that decides how long a person takes to "get it," its Gods will. This season is almost over. Opportunities are coming. He is still pruning, but just because someone fell doesn't mean they forgot everything they know about recovery and the Word of God, and it surely doesn't mean God wont pull out of them what was in the way.
I heard a pastor say when the Israelites were in the desert it wasn't a problem with God getting them out of Egypt, that was easy. It was getting Egypt out of them!
If we can let go and let God deal with our own Egypt during a time to kill ego and flesh, He will heal the spirit and allow us to get to the land of milk and honey!
Mike
Solomon wrote in verse 1, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:" He went on in verse 3 to write, "a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;"
The interesting thing I am finding in my own life is I had this whole "Christian thing" all wrong. Many times we feel like if we are Christian we aren't to be judged or looked at wrong or treated poorly and everything is supposed to be perfect in life. In fact, as we read what Solomon says here, he is telling us that there is a time for good indeed, but there is also a time for struggle.
As we read verse three some in todays society may say, "well that's just not very Christian! A time to kill? You cant say that in church!" What we have to keep in mind is the times Solomon lived in. It was a time of war. A time when God was sending His soldiers to war for HIS good purposes. No, I am not saying war is a good thing. As a Marine I understand it and Id obey my commanding officers regardless of if I agree with them or not because they were put a position to lead by people far smarter than I am. The problem in American society today is everyone wants to be in charge. If things do not go the way I believe they should, I want to throw a tantrum and break things and threaten others all in the name of...... fairness?
Let us look at this verse from a different perspective. Let us personalize it and see how much more sense the Bible can make when applied to MY life and not in a judgmental fashion. I believe the Bible was meant to be personalized which is why last year I started writing the "MLRV" or Mike Lawson Recovery Version of the Bible where I read a chapter and translate it to what I believe God is speaking to me about recovery (long process).
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3 (MLRV),"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:" 3 "a time to kill my flesh and ego, a time to heal my spirit; a time to break down my personal desires, a time to build up the spirit that lives in me."
See, when we stop looking for the wrongs in everyone else and start looking for what can be addressed in MY life, I can then start to be a light instead of an overbearing shadow. As they say in recovery, "if I'm not the problem there is no solution." I am also a firm believer that the ONLY things in life I have control over are MY actions and MY reactions to other people, places, or things. So why do we feel like we need to control everyone else around us and what they believe or do or say?
I once heard a pastor say, "stop arguing with people on Facebook. No one ever won someone to Jesus by arguing their point." I thought, this is exactly what happens. We engage in theological debates as if we have it all figured out and we end up hurting more people than we are helping. Instead, what if we died to our ego of "I'm right and your wrong" and we allowed ourselves to live by example instead of forcing others to live how we think they should live?
The point is this; there are seasons in life where I have to sit down, take a break, look at my own "stuff" and start killing or pruning some things away so that God can start healing me from within. I have to bread down my personal desires of ministry, money, leadership, or whatever it is I desire the most and let God build the spirit within me.
I am at a point in my life as we speak where God has had to sit me down, break me down, kill my ego, and start to build me from within. Although some will not agree with "how much time" I sat out, it is ultimately up to God to open the doors and windows of opportunity when HE sees fit. The keepers of the laws were angry when Jesus worked on the Sabbath. If Jesus decides when is right, then who are we to put time frames on things? Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector, Saul (Paul) was a murderer, Moses was a murderer, and the list goes on and on. Yet, God decided when it was time to use them. Its not a calendar that decides how long a person takes to "get it," its Gods will. This season is almost over. Opportunities are coming. He is still pruning, but just because someone fell doesn't mean they forgot everything they know about recovery and the Word of God, and it surely doesn't mean God wont pull out of them what was in the way.
I heard a pastor say when the Israelites were in the desert it wasn't a problem with God getting them out of Egypt, that was easy. It was getting Egypt out of them!
If we can let go and let God deal with our own Egypt during a time to kill ego and flesh, He will heal the spirit and allow us to get to the land of milk and honey!
Mike
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