Of Time and a Season

[HKHaugan]

Of Time and a Season Part 3

Note how Ecclesiastes 3:1 uses two words to define the idea of self-conscious being, seasons and times. “For everything there is a time (a specific happening, choice, decision) and a season (the context in a choice and decision is dealt with) for every activity under heaven (the ultimate context). A specific example follows, “A time to be born.” An event which happens in a season which covers conception to death, “a time to die.”

Individual life is a season followed by a series of times which take place in an ultimate context (eternity, Heaven, the never-ending context). Within the ‘life’ season, Eccl.3:11 declares God “has made everything beautiful in its time (specific actions and seasons within the big season, the context of eternity). He has also set eternity [context] in the hearts of men,” and then relates another reality, the imperfection of mankind, “yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Here is the reason Jesus came, to give us spiritual time, the context in which choices are made for the specifics of behavior and organization, that we might share our relational season with Him and others.

For instance, let’s take something simple. If I say I don’t have time to do something, is that true or false? I need to take a moment in spiritual time to evaluate it. Perhaps it’s just an excuse to avoid something I don’t want to do. Also, false timing is usually inspired by fear. Fear impedes spiritual time. Fear of facing something or fearing an outcome. Fear breeds attitude and there are many. Attitudes are what we use to protect ourselves by building a wall on what might happen if…? That nurtures a false sense of time based on fear and can postpone spiritual time. Fear makes time a false reality to dread. Attitudinal shadows like anxiety, pessimism, sarcasm, prejudice, superiority, despair, regret, suspicion, distrust, pride plus a heap of others can be time blinders and binders and pale horses whose bridle is fear.

There is really only one answer to fear and that is faith in a personal God. That’s why Jesus. He died and then rose from the dead. He is the One who stands by our inner self in all things, everything (the times) and in all seasons. My mind, my heart and my spirit, the image of God in me, synchronize in Him as I open up and relate to Him. His Word simply makes spiritual sense which gives me an intellectual and emotional base from which I launch my every next moment regardless of circumstance and world times (events).

In this virus attack are the spiritual seasons of prayer, faith, love, hope and truth that support us. They are all practical seasons when each gives us the context for choosing times of meditation, relational thankfulness, sharing spiritual growth. A season is an activity and time is used to organize specifics to start and end. A season of prayer may start at 10 am and end at 11 am. A season of patience in response to an unexpected moment or a flash of misunderstanding is Spirit led. A season of wisdom working through a social problem may take calendar time. A season of love is the bedrock with special times that help build a relationship from a wedding time through a marriage. A season of friendship has a starting and ending with the meeting times in between that nurture it. Everything personal and relational is contained in seasons that require calendar timing to organize. Our spiritual life is a season in this world that has calendar events to structure its development like specific Bible study times, worship times, ministry times, mission times, retreat times, meeting times for the few and the many.

Look at it this way. Every season is the Lord’s time (Kairos). Clock and calendar (chronos) serve to organize their reality. The first is vertical. The second horizontal. Do you see the Cross in all this? The vertical beam, spiritual? The horizontal beam, clock and calendar? Together, they give us opportunities to bring eternity and time together in every lifetime event. Is it any wonder Jesus would so forcefully tell us, “If anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matt.16:24-25).”