The passage of time

As Christians it is important that we see ourselves and the world around us in the way that God intended.  One of the areas that I think many Christians miss the mark in this way is in our understanding of time.  Now some of this may seem a little silly but bear with me as I think in the end it will be clear how critical it is to think of time as God intended.

Have you ever said, "There is not enough hours in the day?"  I know what we all mean by this, but have you considered how insulting to the God who created us this could be!  If God created all things perfect and good and one of the things He created was the passage of time as marked by the rising of the sun and the moon, it would seem that if there are not enough hours in the day it is because He made a mistake.  I don't think we would want to say that. 

As we count the passing days, and months and years, it is easy to get lost in time.  It goes by so quickly after all and when it passes faster than we would like, we tend to worry about getting it all done and so we complain that there are not enough hours in the day.  But what if time was not created for us?  What if time itself was created to mark the beginning and the end (which is really the beginning of a timeless eternity)?  What if time was simply created as a way for us to mark the fulfillment of God's plan for humankind for all eternity?  After all, God created time and space so that He could interact with us and accomplish His purposes. 

As evidence for this fact I simply draw your attention to the fact that five days passed before God created mankind.  If God created time for mankind, would he not worry about time until mankind was created?  Instead he demarcates day 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 before morning begins on day 6 - the day in which He creates mankind in His own Image.  Time itself is a creation of God for the glory of God. 

This is why the New Testament tells us not to worry about tomorrow because time, as with all creation, is designed not for mankind, but ultimately for the God who created it - to bring glory to Him.  And what a glorious thought that God has given us the exact number of minutes in our lives to accomplish that glory! 

For some of us, that time might be shorter than others, but it is never too short to bring glory to God.  Which means that for many, we need to re-prioritize our time so that we are more aware of the fact that we need to use our time for His glory!  We need to re-focus our time and other resources so that we think first and foremost of the glory of God.  God has given us these first few days of a new year to praise Him.  We do not know if we are guaranteed tomorrow, much less next Jan 1.  So let us use the time that God gives us this year for the purpose that God has given it.  To Him be the glory!