Why are those of us who live in the richest countries in the world suffering from so much painful and debilitating time-poverty?
Time is far more valuable than money. It is far more limited and far more difficult to recover when lost. So what are you doing reading blogs? And what am I doing writing one? Well, I’m going to spend a few minutes outlining a basic theology of time. And maybe a few minutes spent reading this today could save you much more than a few minutes in the future. 1. God gives time (James 1:17)We do not deserve a second of time in this world. Through sin we have forfeited our right to exist. Every moment of life, therefore, is a gift of God. If a man were standing beside me giving me a dollar bill every second, or every minute, I would love him. But God is standing beside me and giving me something far more valuable – the seconds, minutes, and hours themselves. 2. God gives enough time (Eccl. 3:1-8)
We often say, “I just don’t have enough time.” I know we are rarely saying it as a complaint against God, but it does reflect upon God. If someone gave you a hundred tasks to do in one minute, you would view that person as unjust and unfair. It’s simply not enough time. But God has given us enough time to do all that He requires of us in this world. He is not unfair or unjust. Perhaps, our perceived lack of time is caused by trying to do more than God requires of us.
3. God gives limited time (Psalm 31:15)
We have a limited time on this earth. Our arrival and departure times are on God’s timetable. However long our time here may be, it does have a limit that we shall not pass. 4. God judges our use of time (Romans 14:12)
We are used to the idea of God judging our words, or our use of money. But the idea of God watching over our use of time is not often at the forefront of our thoughts. Words are audible, money is visible, but time seems so much more nebulous, so much more difficult to get a hold of. Yet, as it is His gift, we will be called to give an account for our use of it. 5. God commands us to redeem time (Ephesians 5:16)
To redeem a person means to act to secure a captured person’s rescue by paying a price. To redeem time, therefore, means to act to secure the recovery of wasted time by paying a price. And that price, as we shall see in the next few days, is self-discipline and self-denial.
6. God offers eternal life to those who have abused time (Romans 6:23)
Though many of us grieve over “the years the locusts have eaten,” God promises to restore those years (Joel 2:25). And what a restoration! He gives far more than we have taken. Despite us taking God’s gift of time and using it against Him, God still offers us the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23).