Address “seasons of rest” when circumstances change but you aren’t doing as much.--Gifts FAQ

In facilitating and teaching the Your Unique Design Sessions to a variety of groups, I have gathered questions along the way. This and several future blog posts will capture some of those questions and my responses.

Address “seasons of rest” when circumstances change but you aren’t doing as much.

Let’s start with some Scriptural examples:

When Joseph is thrown into prison, we are told that the Lord is with him. There is not “nothing” happening, but it really becomes a time for Joseph’s character and faith development—which becomes essential to his future leadership AND his future forgiveness of the brothers who sold him into slavery.

Moses spends the middle part of his life off in the wilderness tending the sheep of his father-in-law for 40 years until the burning bush incident and his new call from the Lord. This might have felt like a fallow time for someone with Moses’ abilities and gifts…but God does much in that time to prepare Moses for leading a stubborn people in the wilderness for 40 years.

When Elijah goes from the highest of highs with the Mt. Carmel miracles to his lowest of lows—literally running for his life, God allows him rest. Literally sleep. God is gentle with him in this season of “rest”.

We need times of transition, even fallowness, especially after a big change—to learn life lessons, and go deeper with ourselves and with God. Time from God’s point of view is more about process than progress. The Bible talks about plowing season and harvest seasons;  rainy seasons and dry seasons;  autumn and spring rains;  being prepared for each season.  It also talks about seasonal storms.  We see in nature processes that take time;  we see transformation and metamorphosis.  But, somehow, we as humans miss the patterns that God has set out for our benefit.  We’ve lost this sense of life rhythm…that involves plowing and planting and waiting and growth.  We tend to only give it value in our lives if we can measure progress!

Sometimes rest is to allow God to restore us and renew us. We acknowledge that God is sovereign and we are not. We intentionally let go and trust.

And, we still have spiritual gifts in this season. Maybe you have a mix of Intercession and Faith. Those are powerful even in “rest”. You will pray often (you can’t help it!) and you will trust that God IS able, God is GOOD. Maybe you have the gift of Exhortation—it will be available to you daily—in conversations with family, friends, neighbors—without your trying. Etc. Etc.

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, DIOS. DONES. TÚ.: Tu llamado y diseño único (Spanish Edition), and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping at her church.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.

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