https://odb.org/2026/06/12/seasons-of-love
Romans 5:6–8 (NIV): 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Flowers don’t have to be in bloom to be beautiful, says famed landscape designer Piet Oudolf. Even in the dead of winter, the Dutch gardener’s award-winning designs are known for their stunning appeal. “Beauty is in so many things you wouldn’t think of,” Oudolf says, although some may disagree. “The moment you say I love plants that are dead [dormant],” he said, “then you have a problem because people don’t like dead plants.” Oudolf’s appreciation of plants’ life cycles echoes a core spiritual principle: While we were dead in our sins, God still loved us. “You see,” explained the apostle Paul, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly”. Paul continued, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).
Jesus chose disciples with flaws. He ate meals with known sinners. He healed outcasts. Oudolf, likewise, is “interested in plants not only for their flowers, but also for their personality”—seeing beauty “in things that, on first sight, are not beautiful.” (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 12th June 2026)
An important principle in Christ we all know is that He came for the weak, the oppressed and the powerless. So we need not be well off and successful to be accepted into the Kingdom of God. Christ accepts us as we are, broken people who are sinners with flawed characters and personalities. It is practical as no one is perfect. So while we were powerless and sinners, Christ died for us and our sins and gave us hope.
A follow through to that principle is that we need not be perfect in God before we start serving Him. Yes, we need to equip ourselves with His Word and the knowledge of Christ. That can be done in parallel. In the meantime as Christ transforms us from inside out, we are already a new creation and we have the capacity and capability to serve Him in His church and in ministry. There is no need to wait until we get a theological degree or until we have removed all skeletons in our closet amd achieve a certain level of Christ likeness.
The Christian life is and will always be a journey of transformation. We will only achieve perfection when the new heaven and new earth appear in all its glory with God dwelling amongst His people at the end of time. In the meantime we serve God to the best of who we are in Him. We fulfil His plans and purposes for our lives at the various stages of our life transformation. We serve God despite we are WIP (work in progress).
Going back to Piet Oudolf, there is beauty in plants even in the dead of winter, away from the glorious spring and summer flower blooms! We will likely have lifecycles in our spiritual lives – but God nevertheless loves us. Perhaps we have not been as consistent as Christ would have wanted us to be, God is still faithful in His loving kindness as His loving kindness is steadfast and renewed like dew every morning. Wherever we are, pick ourselves up and march on Christian soldiers! “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war. With the cross of Jesus, going on before!” No looking back indeed!
Have a good weekend ahead! Go to church in person and worship Him in spirit and in truth, not in our pyjamas and with a cup of coffee. Dress up, drive to church. Worship as a community of believers, a congregation of God’s people. Give Him all glory and honour for He truly deserves all our worship and adoration! Remember, while we were yet powerless and sinners, Christ died for us…
Ronnie's Thoughts 