Wasted Seasons of Life?

If you’ve ever felt that certain periods of your life were wasted years, the story of Moses might cause you to think otherwise.

He grew up in Pharaoh’s palace but gave up the royal life to identify with the Hebrew people. He was age 40 when he said goodbye to the palace and fled into the wilderness. (Acts 7:23) All of that training as Egyptian royalty, only to forsake his status as a prince – what a waste, right?

Moses then spent 40 years as a shepherd before God called him in the burning bush. 40 years navigating the wilderness as a shepherd, anonymous, seemingly insignificant compared to his former life – what a waste, right?

At age 80, Moses returned to Egypt. As a former prince of Egypt, he knew his way around the royal grounds. He understood the psychology of powerful Egyptians. Maybe those first 40 years in the palace weren’t a waste after all.

After leading the people through the Red Sea, Moses led them through the wilderness for 40 years before reaching the edge of the Promised Land. He knew a thing to two about navigating the wilderness. Maybe those 40 years as a shepherd weren’t a waste after all.

What about you? Do you look back on your schooling or a previous career and feel like it was time wasted? Do you look at a period of suffering in your life and feel that it was all for nothing?

Moses may have felt that way at one point. But looking back on his life, God used those “wasted” seasons to train Moses for challenges yet to come. When we see one season in life as training for the next season, it gives us a greater sense of purpose. And it helps us to look to God in faith, knowing that all things are in His hands.

God does not waste a second of our lives. He is the ultimate steward, never frivolous or thoughtless in His management of time. He is purposeful, often beyond what we can perceive in the moment.

Romans 8:28: “For those who love God, all things work together for good.”