What Time is It?

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that there’s a time & a purpose for everything. There’s a time to be born, and a time to die. There’s a time to build up, and a time to break down. There’s a time to weep, and a time to laugh. There’s a time to…”embrace”, and a time to pull yourself together & refrain from embracing. Time to gain, time to lose; time to keep, time to throw away. Time to be quiet, time to speak; time of war, time of peace. Everything has a set time and a set season. So, one of the most important questions in our lives today (and everyday) is: what time is it? 

Photo from: DuoParadigms

Time essentially runs our lives. We set our “normals” around it. Most people wake up in the morning, go to work or school, come back in the evening, and eventually go to sleep at night. Time tends to dictate what we think is appropriate. Weekdays are typically reserved for work; weekends are reserved for fun (or…not as much work). We even have natural seasons, and those seasons tend to dictate what we’ll wear. If you saw somebody walking around in shorts & a t-shirt on the coldest day of winter (or the heaviest of coats in a Texas summer), you may have a few questions, right? Well, I believe that the same is true spiritually. There’s an appointed time for everything in our lives. Each season starts and stops when God says so, and the sooner we learn to catch on to what time it is in our lives, the better our lives will be. 

     Last week was terrible (well, for me). If it could’ve happened, it likely did, and it was likely worse than you’d imagined. I felt like everything was shaking. Nothing seemed stable. I cried more than I’d like to admit. People were shaky, finances seemed a bit shaky, school was a little shaky, my computer wasn’t shaky….it was completely out of commission because my hard drive crashed. I would go to God daily, get my Jesus boost, feel great about life (today’s going to be better…today’s going to be better)….and get hit all over again (REALLY?!). I remember reading this verse, and asking God to show me what time it was in my own life (who knew I’d write about it). Somehow, I ended up in Psalm 126:6, which says “those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing…” Through this, God revealed that in those moments, it was time to weep (I’d gotten really good at it by that point), but the weeping had a purpose. In those moments, I had to learn to trust Him to bring me through the bad seasons and carry me into the good ones. I knew that even though I had cried my fair share of tears, if I kept moving, I’d eventually come into my time to reap in joy. 

     I think it’s important to realize that there will be bad “times” in our lives. So many times, we praise God for being God over the good, but He’s God over the bad as well. We all have seasons of mourning, sadness, death, breaking down, and flat out silence. However, we also have seasons of dancing, joy unspeakable, abundant life, building, and joyful noises. Therefore, it’s equally important to not allow ourselves to get so consumed with the bad that we forget that better is coming. Better is always coming, but we can’t get to better if we only set our eyes on the bad. 
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     So what time is it in your life? Is it time to work? Or time to rest? Is God telling you to build? Or is He pushing you to break down something? Is it time to give birth to something? Or is something dying in your life? Are you sowing in tears? Or should you be reaping in joy? Your answer should determine your actions. If it’s time to reap, then the tears have to cease; you’ll need that strength for the harvest. If it’s time to throw something away, let it go. I’ve never seen God take something from me, and not give me something better. However, we won’t make your burden too heavy, so you have to make room for what’s next, and…let it go. If it’s time to be quiet, shhhhhh. You’d be surprised at how much you can gain and learn by simply…listening to what’s around you. If it’s time to war, FIGHT! If it’s time for peace, chill. 

     If you’re unsure, this week, I’d encourage you to take some time, settle yourself, and ask God to show you what time it is in your life. Don’t be afraid or unsettled by whatever He says. If it’s time to war, He’ll give you the strength to fight. If it’s time to be quiet, He’ll open your ears and allow you to hear. If it’s time to speak, He’ll let you know what you need to say & when you need to say it. He’s God through every season. He’s Christ in the midst of your chaos. Every season requires a different tool, and a different strategy. So before you act impulsively, go to God intentionally, and act accordingly. 

Background music: Better - Jessica Reedy

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