Time for everything?

Ever feel there is not enough time? Life can feel so busy these days and I often feel I’m not giving enough time to my immediate family, my wider family, my church family, my friends, my work. With all the things on the to do list there is definitely no time for rest as well. There’s just not enough time for everything I want to do and everyone I want to please. At least that is how it seems…

In Ecclesiastes God says “there is a time for everything” (3:1) and that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (3:11). He means that God’s rule over time is beautiful. God has given us exactly the amount of time he wants us to have – it is a beautiful gift from him. At the same time verse 11 continues: “God has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (3:11) When we feel that there is not enough time for everything it is because we were made for something more. We were made to enjoy an eternity of time with God and his people.

So what? We are not in charge of time and we need rescuing from the illusion that we are. We cannot master the times and seasons, not even the hours and minutes. We must trust the Lord who does and be content with doing less than we dream. Wouldn’t it be lovely to wake up every morning thinking: God has given me time to enjoy and serve him today and I’m looking forward to that.