THE SEASONS ADDED TOGETHER MAKE A YEAR

Some view Winter as the starting point in the circle of the seasons; our calendar year starts in Winter.  But in "God's calendar," the Jewish year begins with Spring.  In fact, His first month, Nisan, is the month in which Jews celebrate the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits; it occurs about the same time the Church celebrates the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus:  it begins with Spring.  And, in a sense, most cultures view Spring as sort of the "beginning of life."  It is when the trees begin to bud, the flowers begin to bloom.  The world is resurrected from the dead of Winter!

SPRING:  Many have written of their observation of a parallel between the four seasons in a year, and the four stages of one's life.  We can see the same thing in the pages of the Scriptures.  It describes spiritual life as one being born again (Jn. 3:3-8), and encourages "babes in Christ," to hunger for the nourishment of God's Word (1 Pet. 2:2).  Newborn children of God may not know much Scripture, but they do know what God did for them; He provided them with a testimony (Lk. 2:20; Acts 3:8-9; 8:39; etc.).

SUMMER:  Because the vast majority of temptation comes during one's youth, the period between being a childhood and being a mature adult, the heat of Summer best describes the passions of the second stage of a believer's life.  Our hunger for God's Word should increase!  Paul wrote of God's provision of leaders in the Church, to bring to maturity, those who belong to God (Eph. 4:11-15). 

FALL:  Fall is the season when the young men assume their role as spiritual warriors.  Having strengthen one's self by eating the "meat of the Word" (Heb. 5:12-14), they put on their armor and defend their brethren (Eph. 6:10-18)!  It is the young men who John describes as being victors over Satan (1 Jn. 2:13-14). 

WINTER:  It is the proven warrior who not only survives life's many battles with the enemy, but is viewed as qualified to instruct the young.  Elders were considered equal to the Apostles when it came to decisions in the early Church.  In the discussion which took place over the need for born again believers to be circumcised, the phrase "apostles and elders" occurs five times (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23)!  Elders, as they were in the Jewish tradition, were typically men of age.  The qualifications for elders indicate they were to have a "proven track record" (1 Tim. 5:1, 17-25).

Regardless of which "season" you are in:  hungering, studying, fighting, or leading; one does not cease when the next begins; they continue together. 

Those in the "Winter of their lives," should be characterized by all four!