Know the importance of the season you’re in
and a wise son you will be.
But what a waste when an incompetent son
sleeps through his day of opportunity! Proverbs 10:5 TPT

 Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I like the changing of the leaves from green to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. I like to watch those leaves dancing on the breeze as they drift gingerly to the ground.  I like the sound of their crunch under my feet. I look forward to the sweater days, the hoodie days, the light jacket days of fall. A couple of years ago, I even invested in a new London Fog coat—my ease-into-winter garment. I like the gradual shortening of days (Daylight Saving Time disrupts my internal clock). I like “falling back” and the illusion of gaining the hour I never recovered from losing the previous Spring.  Autumn makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I want it to last. I want it to last right into Spring. And if not, then at least through Thanksgiving.

So, when I woke early one November morning to sub-freezing temps, saw the still-leaf-clad branches on the trees bending and breaking under the weight of ice, and read the school delays and closures that scrolled across the TV screen, I had to readjust mentally, emotionally and physically. No easing into the idea of winter.  Winter had arrived!  I had to dig out the ice scraper buried in the trunk of the car, buy replacement gloves for the ones I’d lost last winter, drag out that heavy winter coat I’d planned to have cleaned before it got cold (that cute London Fog just would not cut it in bitter winds).  Winter had served notice: “The season has changed!!  Adjust and embrace the change!”

I hear Holy Spirit saying: “The season has changed!  It’s important that you know what season you’re in! Adjust!  Embrace the change!”

God has ushered us into a strangely new and wonderful season—unprecedented in many ways. A season of fulfillment of prophetic words. Of visions and dreams becoming reality. Fresh waves of creativity. The emergence of dormant gifts and talents. A marrying of those gifts and talents, enabling us to use them in different contexts and in novel ways. A season of stepping boldly and powerfully into our divine destiny.  A season of transition for many. A season of embracing all God has created us to be. A season of shifts in direction, in focus, in purpose. A season of greater impact and advancement of the Kingdom of God. A season filled with endless possibilities. A season of “The Exceeding Abundantly Above All You Imagine!”

And yet it is vastly different from any season we have experienced, requiring greater levels of discernment and of discipline, of worship and of warfare and of work!  If you and I are to fully benefit from all this season has to offer, if we are to be and do all that God has purposed for us, we must know what season we are in and adjust every aspect of our lives—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically—to align with the new season.  Here are some things I believe can help us do just that.

1. Reassess: In light of all God is speaking now, look carefully at every aspect of your life.  Re-evaluate everything—your spiritual life, your relationships, your finances, your health.   Look at how you utilize your time, your talents, your treasure (resources).  Then ask yourself these questions:  If I continue doing what I am currently doing, will I accomplish what God has purposed for me in this season of my life? What changes do I need to make now in order to fulfill purpose and walk out destiny in this season?
2. Repent: Repentance is all about changed thinking.  The Greek word—metanoia— literally means a “different mind.”  You and I must adopt a different mindset. If we enter a new season with the same thinking we’ve had in seasons passed, nothing will change.  A change in thinking results in a change of behavior.   Allow the Word of God to transform your thinking.   Think God-thoughts. Speak His words. Remember, you have the mind of Christ!  Bring your thinking in alignment with what God is speaking! Then your words and actions will line up as well.
3. Release: It’s vital that we step into any new season unencumbered with the things of our past. In Philippians 3:13, Paul speaks about forgetting those things behind and looking ahead—that’s the good as well as the bad, the successes as well as the failures.  No matter how fulfilling and fruitful past seasons may have been, they are gone.  Embrace the NOW by letting go of anything that will halt your progress: fear, doubt, unforgiveness, toxic relationships, and anything else Holy Spirit may reveal. Release it.  Let go of anything that no longer serves you as it once did. Understand that what was an asset in one season can become a weight in this new season. Let it go!
4. Reorder: What practical changes do you need to make daily that will bring you into alignment with God’s purposes for this season?  Reorder your days and weeks to maximize productivity.  Maybe you will need to spend less time on the Internet.  Or maybe you’ll need to get up an hour earlier to pray or complete an assignment. Maybe you need to change your eating habits and incorporate exercise. Make the adjustments that bring spirit, soul, and body in alignment.  Then receive God’s grace that enables and empowers us to do it and do it consistently.  You will find yourself walking in sync with Holy Spirit like never before!

Now Rejoice!   God has brought you into the Kingdom for such a time, for such a season, as this.  He has saved the “best til now!” He trusts you to co-labor with Him to impact a world and advance His Kingdom! He is honoring His word to you, in you, and through you!

And that is something to celebrate!