Whose Time?

by Douglas Webber
(Chenoa, IL, USA)

Pentecostal
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Time. What is it exactly? If we were to look up its definition in the dictionary we would find that time is: A duration, of time, which may be a point, a lapse, a span, a period, a stretch, a quantity, a measure, a duration or a length. When we speak of time, this is what we are referring to.

We live by time. Our entire lives are dictated by time. We have our schedules that we live by. We have deadlines to meet and goals we want to achieve. Even our age is a measurement of the time we have spent on the Earth.

Our time is finite. That is it has a beginning and an end. We may go to work or school at a certain time and come home at a certain time. The time we spend together is limited. Our very lives are finite.

Time can affect us positively or negatively. We can use time to make plans, achieve goals or measure our successes. Conversly, time can also have a negative impact on us. When we are running late we become stressed. When it looks like we can't meet a deadline or we have too much to do and have a lack of time, we feel that pressure.

That's time in our world.

God's time is different. God is eternal so His time is eternal. He has no beginning and no end. Therefore, it is not possible to measure His time. We may speak of doing something in God's time.

In the Greek we are referring to Kairos - Opportune time, set time, appointed time, due time, definitive time, seasonable time, proper time for action. Kairos refers to a quality of time.

God moves in this realm.

We must rely on God and His time. We may come up with plans, but these plans can go awry. (James4:13-15) God's time is perfect. He created everything in His time. He sent Jesus in HIS time to save us. Jesus will come again in God's time.

You can choose to live your lives by the finiteness of measurable time which brings stress both good and bad. It is still limited. You can choose to trust in your own goal setting, your own plans; living your life for yourself.

You can do that or you can put your trust in the Everliving God, the Ancient of Days, the Eternal. You can turn your limitations over to the Unlimited One. By doing so, you will receive eternal life. He will work out the rest. The choice is yours. What will you do?