4 Seasons In The Believer’s Life

What are the “four seasons” of a believer’s life?

First Love

I remember when I was first saved that I was so head-over-heels in love with God that I was almost consumed by it. Do you remember when you were first saved? Can you remember how you were so “on fire” for God? I do and that’s the very first season of a believer’s life in Christ. When Jesus spoke to the different churches in the Book of Revelation, He told the church at Ephesus, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev 2:4-5). Lost that first love? Repent and “do the works you did at first” when you were “all in” for Christ.

Milk to Solid

The Apostle Paul also spoke to the churches and specifically here, to the church at Corinth and told them, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready” (1st Cor 3:2). The author of Hebrews adds, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Heb 5:12). When we are first saved, we receive the precious milk of the Word, but after we start maturing, we’re ready for more solid food or to dig deeper into the Word of God. By now, most of us should be ready for solid food.

Student to Teacher

After we’ve been a Christian for a time, we have been on the solid food of the Word of God and after we’ve lived the Christian life for a time, now we have both the Word and Christian experience to teach those who are younger in the faith. Paul writes that “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children” (Titus 2:3-4). Have you reached this stage yet? If so, we need you to help the younger believer’s in Christ move from milk to solid food.

Experience and Wisdom

Now that you have been saved and grown from feeding on the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word, you ought to be teachers by now. The experience and wisdom is invaluable to those new in the faith, but something very important needs to be mentioned. Paul tells Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2nd Tim 1:5), so “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2nd Tim 1:6).

Conclusion

When we are first saved, we have that stage where we’re passionately in love with the things of God and with God Himself, then we start on the milk, growing up into maturity until we’re able to start eating the solid food of the Word. This should move us into a stage where we start teaching the younger believers, but don’t forget and abandon “the love you had at first,” and if you’ve lost it, repent and seek Him again, first and foremost (Matt 6:33).