The ability to discern seasons will be critical for you not just because you will need to function properly but also for you to flourish. God’s objective, through Jesus, is to see that you have life and have it abundantly. He does not want to see you function just barely enough to get by, rather that you flourish wherever you are. What circumstances draw the best from you? Who brings out the best in you and where do find the opportunity to become all that you were created to be? In the church environment you learn scriptures and biblical stories, but these do not benefit you if you cannot effectively apply them to your life experiences. You may be proficient with Bible skills and yet have no biblical reference for life skills. Those instructions come frequently come from psychologists, doctors, teachers, social workers, and other professionals in the world system.  In the church you learn Biblical studies, but often you are not taught how to live an effective life. Are the people in your sphere of influence feeding your future or holding you captive to your past? There is a path for favor. Daniel refused to meet with the king for several years until he spoke the language fluently enough to enough to carry on a conversation. He desired favor with the king. The angels got him through the lion’s den, but it was his excellent spirit that caused him to have favor. There is a price for favor. Esther soaked in oil for twelve months in order to present herself to the king. If favor is your goal you will do whatever is necessary. Likewise, when  Joseph was summoned before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, scripture tells us that He shaved. Facial hair was considered disrespectful in the Egyptian culture of that time. When you desire favor, you will walk the path, pay the price, and follow the protocol.

If you do not know what season of life you are in, then you will frustrate yourself and everyone around you. Discernment is key. The season of earning is taking what you have learned and making it work for you, not only for yourself, but for others around you. Know how to observe who is for you and who is against you. Do not give your heart away to everyone you know. Save your heart for those who are hugely significant in your life. When it comes to hiring someone, every employee does not need to have access to the most intimate parts of your personal or business information. Wisdom is the ability to recognize the differences in roles that individuals play in your life. There is a level of intimacy that certain people deserve. In ministry or in family relationships, it is important that people feel loved and accepted. There are situations in life, however, when people will need to be employed for a specific task. Strong emotional vulnerability will not be needed in those relationships. We are to be committed to some emotionally and to others as they fulfill only an occupational role. This is what Jesus meant when He told us to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar and to God what belonged to Him. He was talking about the level of investment that was due to each one. He was not just speaking about money. It was more encompassing.  Save your heart for people who matter. Learn the difference between who you serve and who you hire. Keep your relationships clearly defined. They are an important key to your success.

Discernable seasons. You were meant to know the specific one that you are in. There is a season of discovery and self-awareness. Who are you at your core? Where are you your best? And who are you with when you are at your best? You do not belong everywhere. You belong somewhere. Even Jesus was not effective everywhere. It was not because He was ever deficient. It was due to the limitations that others  placed upon Him. If that can happen to Jesus it can happen to you and me. It is important that you understand this as a foundation, prior to entering into your earning season. This is where you reap the benefits of what you have discovered in the learning season. Earning takes place when you learn how to work for, and how to work with what you discovered. Earning is not about discovering where to work. Or where you blossom. It is about taking what you learned and finding the place in which you fit. You do not belong everywhere. You were not meant to belong everywhere. The burden of learning is regret. It may be painful to discover some things about yourself or the choices that you have made. It may be uncomfortable to recognize, but it is valuable information that can lead you to make better choices in the future. When it is time to earn, you have to be clear about your purpose and the destiny that God has in mind for you to fulfill. God does not want you to be constantly in a state of confusion about who you are, what you were made to do in this life and how to accomplish your God given purpose.

Discernable seasons of life include learning, earning, and returning. Learn where you can be your best. Even Jesus could not perform miracles everywhere. That is why it is important to discover the environments in which you will flourish. Can you discern which things are mandatory and which are optional for you? It is important that you learn the difference between interest and entrance. Your interest will determine if, when and where my entrance point will coincide or conflict. Your entrance will determine my interest level. If all you want to do is engage in behaviors that are beneath my level of maturity, then I will lose interest. Deep calls to deep. If the only communication that you engage in with me, centers around your problems or your world, it will be easy for me to eventually lose interest. Sometimes we may find ourselves pulled into atmospheres that are of little interest to us and we forsake our own priorities.  Very quickly we can become depleted. If we are constantly feeding someone else’s dream and losing our focus on what God has for us to accomplish, we will ultimately end up burned out and frustrated. In an airplane, when the cabin loses pressure, there will be mask that drops down in front of the passenger. You will be instructed to put the mask on yourself first. You cannot help anyone else until you first secure yourself. Do not let insecurity or obligation to others overwhelm you. Take care of yourself. IT TAKES A FREE PERSON TO SET ANOTHER PERSON FREE! Know what you were called to do and what you do best. From this position of clarity and strength you will be enabled to help those individuals that God sends your way!

Do you know the season of life you are currently in at the moment? Frustration results in your lack of awareness. The Bible says that God makes all things beautiful in His time. An infant is beautiful at that stage of life, however if a teenager behaves as an infant, it is no longer beautiful to behold. The season has changed. Behavior that is acceptable during teenage years becomes unacceptable when one becomes a young adult. There will be an expectation from parents and society at large that there would be corresponding growth and development. The seasons of life can best be described as learning, earning, and returning. Previously we discussed the importance of self-discovery. We can learn the difference between things that are mandatory and things that are optional. There will be certain challenging experiences in life you will have to go through, in order to reach the level that you desire. You cannot skip the necessary steps. Part of growth and maturity is understanding that there is a process of maturity. Not everyone in life is going to celebrate you. There will be specific protocols and you will more often than not, learn the most valuable lessons in the hard places. There are also some opportunities in life that will be optional. You can choose to walk away or not participate. These choices will always be a reflection of  your level of self-awareness and authenticity.

There is a season of learning, earning, and returning. Sometimes we may try to skip through the seasons due to our impatience. When you miss learning the basics, it is almost impossible to continue without always trying to catch up. You will struggle when you miss the opportunities in the  learning season, If you do not spend the appropriate amount of time in self-discovery.  It is important in life not just to discover God, but to allow Him to reveal your authentic self. It is critical that you spend time in introspection, understanding what is most relevant to you. What is the best environment for you that will cause you to flourish? In whose company do you excel? What will be necessary for your life, in order to become the best version of yourself? Who challenges you? Who frustrates you? Who encourages you? All of these things are discovered in the learning season. If you have a particular aptitude or talent, you may need to make sure that you are in the right environment, surrounded by the best people in order for your potential to be maximized and truly blossom. Every choice made should direct you toward the opportunity which will result in the absolute best outcome.  God wants this for you. God does not want you to just barely get by in life. He desires that you fulfill the destiny and call that He has designed for you. Toward the end of his life, the Apostle Paul exclaimed that he had fought a good fight, he kept the faith, and he finished his course. He would further go on to express, that he was not disobedient to his heavenly vision. Make sure that you surround yourself with people who will nurture and encourage your vision. Make sure that your environment is conducive to your success. Those closest to you should not just tolerate you but celebrate your success. Learn how to identify these important priorities. If you do, then you will not forever be playing “catch up” in the next season. Your choices made will have been intentional and will stem from clear, purposeful direction.

We are talking about discernable seasons. Do you know what season of life you are in at the moment? If you can properly discern it and then become acclimated,  you will less likely frustrate yourself. Do not be so quick to skip this season because you are in a hurry to “get somewhere.” Most of us are so focused on arriving at our destiny, that we do not understand that most of our character is developed during the journey. There are three definable seasons of life. The learning is the most important. In this season you will discover the most about yourself. During this time, you will discover traits about yourself as well as relationships and how they either benefit or diminish you. In whose presence do you thrive? What is the atmosphere that speaks to the creative you? Creative people do not flourish in a rigid atmosphere.  If you are person who craves structure, you will not be peaceful in an atmosphere that is loose and unbuttoned. It is imperative that we understand how we are wired as individuals and move toward what is a natural fit. We learn sometimes through what we eliminate as well as what is revealed. Pain is a signal. It indicates. It is a result of disorder or disobedience. Relationships that produce pain, will either torture us or teach us. Who challenges you? Who frustrates you? Anger causes us to back up and reassess. Who is a constant source of fatigue and struggling? Who is a source of encouragement and empowerment? You must learn these things. This will shave years of disappointment and frustration from your life. This insight, will likewise propel you faster and farther into your divine destiny.

What season are you in, and can you discern the season that you are in, at the present moment? Life is made of times, levels, and seasons. We understand this in the natural. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to be an infant child, adolescent, adult, and mature adult. Each age carries with it the expectations of appropriate behavior. Knowing your season will eliminate so much frustration in your life. There are three discernable seasons in growth. This is true in the natural and the spiritual worlds. Likewise, it true in business, and any other kind of relationship. You will either be in the season of learning, earning, or returning. The first season is learning. It is all about discovery. Discovering what you want to become. Is a large part of this moment in time. What makes you better as a person? Conversely, what diminishes you? In whose presence do I find yourself excelling? What you want can be more easily discovered by determining what you do not want. This is called the process of elimination.  An overabundance of choices can cause anxiety. First, try making a list of what you do not want. Learning is a season to be mastered. Solomon says in the book of Proverbs that in all we seek to acquire, we should seek understanding above all else! Self-awareness is critical to living a successful life. Ask questions of yourself. What do you want?  Learn everything that you can in the learning season. You are much less likely to feel behind or lacking when it is time to move into the next season. This is will set you up for success. God wants that for you. Jesus came so that you would have a life that is abundant.

Pastor continues his message on counsel and instruction. Now more than ever, we need to hear the voice of God.

Pastor continues his message on counsel and instruction. Now more than ever, we need to hear the voice of God.