Time

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"Pulang..., anak-anak menunggu...," that is what someone used to tell me whenever I had to stay longer at the office. It was actually a kind of joke between us as I have yet any children. I even laughed at this notion and it became one of the jokes that often successfully helped me to be a bit refreshed. However, supposed I do have children and work in long hours, I believe I am not the only one to whom such saying is addressed to. Here is what I think of it...


There Is Time For Everything

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven."
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB

Everybody knows that there is time for everything. That verse is one of the famous ones. Put it in the context of the title above, we know that there is time to focus on our work and there is time to focus on other things, such our relationships. The ever wise God has provided 24-hour a day to be enough for any activities required to be done each day. Unfortunately, as men try to outsmart God, men also try to make that 24-hour inadequate. There are too often works undone. There are too often complaints how short a day is. I believe there is noone who has never deliver such remarks about time. Yes, there is a time for everything, but it is supposed to be more than 24-hour a day to accomplish what we desire!

My approach for such thought is, either God is not smart or wise enough to give me only 24-hour in a day or I in an attempt to get everything done have been unwise to make use of my time. I figure the later is correct and so I rest my case. Unless I fix my eyes upon what things truly matters in eternity, I will keep spending my time for things that can only satisfy me so shortly and temporarily. The Preacher in Ecclesiates knew it too well, too. And he had spent a great deal in telling us what things that really matters and what are not. If you still do not know what they are, come and join me in reading that book again!

A Time For Who

"When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household."
John 19:26-27 NASB

I read one good article in Roi'el Ministry blog exposing the verse above so I will not say much here. Personally, I take that verse as having to allocate my time not only for things but a lot more importantly for people. Jesus had his mission which was the most important mission ever done. But that mission was for what or whom? For mankind. And upon executing that mission, His earthly mother well-being was not abandoned by Him.

The former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew is known to say that a man who cannot run his own family should never run a country. I couldn't agree more with him. In regards to my own life, I have to be honest that more often than not, even if I get to go home as scheduled, I do not spend that remaining hours for my loved ones. And the word 'remaining' itself should actually be troublesome, shouldn't it? Why not the prime time? Are my loved ones less important than my works that they only get the crumbs and not the bread?

And there is time for God. But I had better be well-informed here that, it is not my time for God, but actually His time for me! I really need to remind myself from time to time what a privilege it is to be allowed to connect to Him! He has all these things that requires His attention, yet He allows me to have some times together with Him. I have more than one occasions where I learnt that even when praying would be the only thing that could soothe my troubled soul, unless by God's mercy, no words this tounge could utter. I was merely overwhelmed by the troubled feelings and only God's soft voice that would took me out of that pit of desperation. It is truly such a privilege to spend my time with You, dear Lord... Please forgive this ungreatful sinner that too often takes You for granted. And if God of the universe cares enough to spend time with my loved ones, who am I to think that my loved ones do not deserve my 'prime time'?

A Time For What
Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.
Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.1

The Preacher had gone through a lot. Possesed more than any living men could ever do. Showered himself with pleasures only very few of us could ever taste just the bit of it (Eccl. 2). But unless the Lord allows him to enjoy his own works, he could only feel as what he told us in that verse.

As I already am able to set aside my 'prime time' with my loved ones, the next question would be what I do during those times. What I do is supposed to always reflect my determination to glorify God and to enjoy Him. What is the use of spending time with my loved ones by not putting their interests more than mine? By willing to do things that will please them and not only me? By glorifying God through my willingness to be His channel in sharing His love? By enjoying God through the whole course of events and interactions with my loved ones?

I often expect that unless things are pleasing to my heart then it is not worth-doing. But we all know too well that in spending time with our loved ones, even when the activity is initially planned to bring joy, it could turn the other way around. When it happens, we have choices to either let it be worse or turn it back around as a chance to glorify God. In doing so, we will then learn to enjoy God. To be satisfy with whatever things we have and do.

Last not but least, as men we are in this thing so called "time and space". God created us to be in it. However, eventhough we have a beginning, we are destined to live in eternity, be it in God's eternal glory or condemnation. As believers therefore, we will do well if we trust God in preparing us to welcome that life. Let our focus be on things that bear eternal values and not only earthly material things that will one day be gone. Just one small example, have any of the deaths ever carry all their possessions with them to the grave? Naked as we come into this world, naked shall we be when we return to our Creator... Let us hope to be getting wiser in dealing with our time. Help us dear Lord to understand the true value of everything entrusted to us...