ENCOURAGED in Every Season: Devote this Season to God’s Glory, Deepening and Growing your Faith in Christ (Part 11 of 12)
In this ENCOURAGED series, I am passionate about you knowing your Faithful God in every season of your life. As you seek Jesus daily, I desire you to grow in your faith and relationship with Him so you can joyfully embrace Him as your true Encourager and proclaim His faithfulness to others. I pray that you would hold on to the hope and peace found only in Christ and learn how to embrace whatever season you are presently in your life, bringing glory to Him.
Continuing with the ENCOURAGED acrostic, the eleventh and last practical way to be encouraged is to:
D~Devote this New Season to God’s Glory, Deepening and Growing your Faith in Him
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope; Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are NEW every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
As the tide of this new season rolls in, the anticipation of endless possibilities and expectations of this current season wells up within us. Every one of us loves the ‘newness’ of things, whether a new season, a new beginning, a new year, a new chapter, a new page in our story. There is something refreshing about a new calendar with blank, white space that excites us all, leaving room for creativity and mystery of what is to come.
This time of anticipation and reflection helps us to prepare our hearts for this new season in our lives.
- What will this new season bring?
- In what new areas do we desire to grow?
- How can we know God through Christ more deeply?
- What did we glean from our past season to carry into this new season?
- What would we desire to do differently this season?
- How can we gain a new perspective this season?
- How can we grow spiritually this season?
- How can we grow intellectually and mentally this season?
- How can we grow physically this season?
- How can we grow relationally this season with God and others?
Growth in this New Season:
Jesus demonstrated growth in grace in four specific areas—spiritually, intellectually, physically, and relationally—therefore, we should also seek to grow in these areas. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). The One who was perfect in every way and knew all continued to learn and grow in His everyday life and calls us to do the same.
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
As you take an honest assessment of each of these areas—spiritually, intellectually, physically, and relationally—may you:
- Reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past season. Reflect on what you have learned. Reflect on the growth you have gained.
- Regroup by relooking at your aim, goal, priorities, and purpose of each day.
- Refocus by resetting the focus of your lens for this new season. Be encouraged to redirect your focus back to the foundational basics that are the priorities in your life.
Spiritually:
- What is one way you can intentionally get God’s Word in your heart and mind amidst your everyday moments?
- Have you considered journaling or lettering God’s Word?
- Would you enjoy a reading plan to read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation?
- Pick one verse a week and be committed to memorize it, hiding God’s Word in your heart. You will have meditated upon and memorized fifty-two of God’s promises in this new season.
Intellectually:
- What is one new thing you would like to learn this season?
- What new books would you like to read this season?
- Challenge yourself mentally with something new this season.
Physically:
- What is a new goal you can achieve physically this season?
- Do you want to hike a mountain and see a view you have never seen before?
- Do you want to accomplish some physical goals as a family with your children?
- Make physical training a daily discipline in your day. Look for creative ways to experience the beauty of His creation as you train your mind and body.
Relationally:
- Invest in your relationship with Jesus this season. Make your time with Him your utmost priority. Look to see Him working in this season.
- Look to see who you can encourage this season?
- Pray about whom the Lord would have you cultivate a new friendship with this season.
- How can you mutually encourage one another’s faith?
In addition to growth in grace this new season, the Lord has gifted us with ‘newness’ of life by giving us His new mercies morning by morning.
In Christ, we have been gifted with ‘newness’ in so many ways.
- New Goal: Our new goal is to please God, not for acceptance and approval, but out of our love for Him.
“So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it” (1 Corinthians 5:9).
- New Purpose: Our purpose is to bring God glory in everything we say and do. We were created for His glory, not our own.
“All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16,17).
“Everyone who is called by My Name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made” (Isaiah 43:7).
- New Perspective: We are called to set our hearts, minds, and thoughts on things above.
“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right Hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1,2).
- New Hope: Jesus Christ is our Living Hope.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3).
- New Peace: Jesus Himself is our Peace.
“He Himself is our Peace” (Ephesians 2:14).
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
- New Joy: There is fullness of Joy in His Presence.
“In Your Presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).
- New Desires: A new desire for God’s Name to be glorified and exalted.
“Your Name and Renown is the desire of our hearts” (Isaiah 26:8).
- New Birth: We have been given a new birth in Christ.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3).
- New Strength: We have been given a new strength in Christ.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).
- New Song: In Christ, we have a new song in our hearts.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:3).
- New Creation: We are a new creation in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
- New Heart and new Spirit: In Christ, we have been given a new heart and a new spirit.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
- New Self: We are encouraged to take off our old self and put on the new self in Christ.
“Since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator…Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:10,12).
- New Forgiveness: We have a clean slate in Christ; our sins are completely forgiven in Him.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
A new season is here—a clean slate, a new beginning.
Like a clean, fresh shore on a morning beach walk at sunrise or the turn of a crisp, white page on the calendar, newness of life and a new day is awaiting, freely gifted to us all.
You do not have to wait for a new year to begin a new season in your life. You can begin whenever, wherever you are! God has gifted us with this new day filled with His new mercies.
Begin a new season today in your life—wherever you are presently!
May we be encouraged to keep learning and growing in grace and in our faith this season.
~From sunrise to sunset, may we seek to live a life devoted to His purpose and His glory in our lives.
