Seasons of Mini-Stirings

Christians can be an amusing lot.

Some place a high value on consistency across a lifetime. They hold tightly to the idea that if you begin something for God, you should continue it until your last breath. “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no,” they say.

So if you started attending church at five years old and found yourself in the children’s choir, then you should keep singing… forever. And the same thinking often applies to later ministries. If you start one, it becomes a lifelong commitment.

But as I’ve walked with Jesus, something about that has never quite fit.

God created seasons.

And Scripture reminds us that to everything there is a season. Life changes. Circumstances change. And as we walk with Him, we change.

When an apple tree finishes bearing fruit for its season, we don’t stand beneath it and shout, “Hey, you quitter! Keep producing, or you’ll be under judgment!”

It has simply completed its season.

And then another will come.

As we mature in our walk with Christ, He often leads us through different seasons of service. In one season, He may call us to sit quietly and learn—watching, listening, growing. In another, He may place us in a supporting role when we would rather be in the spotlight.

It’s not about the role.

It’s about the response.

Will I say “yes” when He calls… even when it’s not what I expected?

I’ve seen what happens when someone stays in a place where God is no longer leading them—simply because they believe the commitment is permanent. Over time, it shows. What once brought joy begins to feel like obligation.

As if following Christ has become a burden… rather than a calling.

But that’s not how He leads.

His stirrings are often gentle… and sometimes brief. A nudge in one direction for a season. And then, just as quietly, a nudge in another.

Why am I writing this?

Because someone may be holding onto something God has already released… or hesitating to step into something new that He is calling them toward.

There is a season to sit and learn.
A season to serve in quiet ways.
And a season to step forward and speak.

But in every season, the call remains the same:

Be ready.

Whether on the sidelines or in the spotlight…
whether hidden or seen…

shine His light.

_______

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)