When Good Isnt God...
Seasons, Timing and Trusting God's Appointed Time
Key Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
This session was all about seasons, timing and learning to trust God's timing rather than trying to create our own.
When you think about it, we talk about timing all the time. We say things like "that was good timing", "right place, right time", "you've missed your chance", or "you've missed the boat".
But says who darling?!
Have you ever actually stopped and asked God about the timing of something, or have you just accepted what society says about it?
Because Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season and an appointed time for everything. Not just the big things. Everything.
That means God has appointed times for relationships, careers, opportunities, growth, healing, waiting, moving, building and even letting go.
The problem is that most of us don't like waiting. We like plans, we like certainty, we like knowing what's next, we like being in control.
If we're honest, many of us spend more time planning our lives than praying about them. We can become so focused on making something happen that we never stop to ask God whether it's actually something He wants for us in the first place.
Or perhaps we ask Him to bless what we've already decided to do rather than asking Him what He wants us to do - i've been guilty of this is the past.
One of the biggest things we discussed was obedience.
Sometimes God tells us to let something go, but we keep holding on. That could be a relationship, a job, a friendship, a place, a lifestyle, or even an old version of yourself.
You cannot do a little bit of God’s way, a little bit of your own way, mix the two together and hope for the best.
The reality is that if God says no, He means no. If He says wait, He means wait. If He says let it go, He means let it go.
As Christians, we can't really do a little bit of God's way and a little bit of our own way and expect it to work. At some point we have to decide whose instructions we're following and whose we actually are.
One thing I think we all agreed on is that we live in an Amazon Prime world. Everything is instant. We can order something today and have it tomorrow. So naturally we start expecting God to work the same way.
Now don't get me wrong, God is a God of suddenly, but most of the time He develops us over seasons. There are lessons you can only learn in waiting. There is character you can only build in the process.
There are things God needs to do in us before He does something through us. Some seasons are beautiful and some are absolutely horrendous. I’ve been there, got the T-shirt, the handbag and the matching holdall (and no, i'm not talking about my Louis Vuitton collection lol).
But one thing I've learned is that God wastes absolutely nothing.
Romans 8:28 reminds us:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Even the seasons that don't make sense at the time can be used for our good and His purpose.
We also spoke about counterfeits. And honestly, I think most of us could relate to this one. Have you ever wanted something so badly that when it finally appeared, you convinced yourself it was from God? Maybe it was a relationship, a business opportunity, a job, a friendship, a shortcut to something you'd been praying for.
On the surface it fantastic, it felt right. It even seemed to answer the very prayer you'd been praying.
But over time, the cracks started to show 👀.
I once thought I was in the perfect relationship. I genuinely thought, “Yes, God has sent me the one.”
Turns out, he was a character.
And the truth is, when you take things into your own hands and try to create your own season, you can delay what God is preparing for you.
Looking back, if I'd waited on God instead of helping Him out, I could have saved myself a lot of time, a detour, the healing and the lessons could have been avoided if I had simply stopped and asked, “God, is this actually from You?”. The truth is, when we try to create our own season, we often delay the one God was preparing for us.
That doesn't mean God can't redeem it because He absolutely can. But there is a lesson in it.
So before you make your next move, ask God.
Ask Him about the relationship, the job, the school for the kids, the business, the course and the next step.
Don’t just ask, “Is this good?”
Ask, “Is this you God?”
Because not everything that looks like a blessing is God's best for you, He doesn't need us to create our own seasons. He just needs us to trust Him, obey Him and follow where He leads.
So I'll leave you with the same question we ended our session with,
Are you trusting God's timing, or are you trying to create your own season?
Thats it from the Boardroom this week.
I did this summary over a real whilst doing my skincare and makeup -
See you soon,
Love always,
Han x
Ps. I got re baptised this week - i'll tell you about that soon.