John 7
I’m in a Hurry to Get Things Done
There was a popular 90’s hit by country music band Alabama that goes like this: “I'm in a hurry to get things done. Oh, I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really gotta’ do is live and die, But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.”
It has a catchy tune, but the lyrics are a little depressing. But it begs the question – What does time mean to you? As I age, I am increasingly aware of how fast time is moving. At my age, I have way more time in my rear-view mirror than I have in my windshield. So I feel an urgency to make the most of my time, and that often creates stress.
Jesus Had the Time of His Life
Jesus knew his time was short, so you would think he would feel pressure to squeeze as much activity as he could into each minute. But the gospels paint a different picture. We sense a calmness when Jesus is surrounded by crowds demanding miracles and healing. We feel his patience as he tries to train the thick-headed disciples. We are in awe of his peace, even though he knows he is facing a pending appointment with the cross
In John’s gospel Jesus repeatedly states that his time has not yet come. Then, suddenly in John 12:23, just before his crucifixion, he tells the disciples “The hour has come…” Throughout his time on earth, Jesus seems to live based on an internal spiritual clock and not his Rolex or calendar.
God’s Way of Keeping Time
As we look closely at scripture, we realize that God often operates on a different time basis than we do. We are tied to time described by the Greek word – Chronos. Chronos is clock time. It is linear, sequential, and limited to 24-hour days and 60 second minutes. Stress often comes from the urgency we feel in meeting the demands of our Chronos.
Even though Jesus lived within Chronos time on earth, he was not bound by it as we are. He never fell behind schedule, no matter how busy he was. He moved according to Kairos time – God’s time. Kairos is unlimited like eternity. It is opportunity time, not clock time so it produces peace, not stress.
Several Bible passages tell us how these two types of time intersect. Galatians 4:4 notes an event that had been prophesized for thousands of earth years, became a Kairos appointed reality when it tells us, “In the fullness of time, God sent His son…” Ephesians 5:15-16 encourages us to manage our time with an eye to eternal consequences, and to…“ Be careful how you live; not as unwise but as wise. Making the most of every opportunity…”
How to Become Eternally Significance
So what does God’s eternal time system have to do with our mortal earthly lives today? How can we manage our busy schedules to produce the same peace we see in Jesus? How can we have any hope that something we do or say today will have any eternal significance?
Here are three tools God has given us to plug our earthly schedule into His eternal time clock:
The Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to give his Spirit to us who believe on him to guide us into all truth. This supernatural indwelling allows God’s Spirit to communicate directly with our spirit, and guide us toward His will, His purpose, and His timing. The Holy Spirit connects God’s eternal wisdom to our earthly understanding.
Prayer. When we talk directly with God He promises to hear and respond. Sometimes His answer is, “Yes, why didn’t you ask me sooner?” Sometimes it is, “No that’s not My best for you.” The more of our earthly Chronos time we use communicating with Him, the greater the quality of Kairos time He is able to help us become aware of.
Waiting. Sometimes God answers our prayers with, “Wait until My Kairos opportunity time matches your best Chronos time.” When we have a decision to make, or face a crisis, or are searching for God’s guidance - Waiting is often the way we allow God to use His eternity time to work all things together for good in our earthly time.
Let me ask my original question again – What does time mean to you? Are you a Type A, got-to-do-it now person who can’t stand to wait? Or are you so easy going that you believe procrastination should be a spiritual gift?
Either way, God wants to use you and grow you for His eternal purposes. But He wants to do so His way and on His timeframe. Allowing Jesus to be Lord of our life means trusting Him to control our clock so that God’s Kairos can intersect our personal Chronos schedule.
Maranatha,
Andy
