Time


Some thoughts on time…

There are certain lines from popular songs that are in my head and probably will be until all my memories are erased, if that ever happens.  There are two that relate to time.  One is from the Steve Miller band and the line is likely familiar to some of you.  “Time keeps on slippin’ slippin, slippin’’ into the future.  Sorry if I have you remembering a song you’d rather forget.  Personally, I really liked that song when it came out, and even today I’ll listen to it occasionally.    Another more recent line comes from a song called, “Breathe” by an artist named Anna Nalick.  That line goes like this: “cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on the cable, and life’s like an hourglass glued to the table, no one can find the rewind…” Images of San Francisco with its fabled cable cars comes to mind and provides an accurate image of the inevitability of time moving forward.  And an hourglass glued to the table is an effective word picture for a reality I’m trying to grasp.  Even with the greatest effort I can’t pry that hourglass loose, turn it over and restart the falling of those precious grains of sand.    
It’s painfully obvious but worth considering once again.  Can’t stop time.  Slowing it down might be convenient once in a while.  Speeding it up could help too in certain situations.  But the fact remains.  Time marches forward.  What’s comforting for the Christian is knowing that time has a destination and where its headed is in our best interests.
Time is linear.  There’s a goal and not a cycle of repeated ages.  We’re moving toward a Glorious Age.  We’re headed for the Day of the Lord.  We’re inching closer every moment to the Revealing (of Jesus Christ).  When the time comes, and surely it will, we will acknowledge who really wears the crown.  The One who deserves our complete submission and unfaltering loyalty.  The King of Kings, before whom every knee will bow, and to whom every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all. 
We’ve started a race and there’s a finish line.  Paul talks about it in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  Hebrews mentions the same race in 12:1-2).  We continue our climb and there is a mountain top.  There’s a paradise at the end of the road we’re on.  We’re moving toward a place where we’ll know we finally “arrived” when we get there. 
We’re on a journey and there’s a destination.  Every day, every passing moment we’re closer to “home.”  Let’s be like Paul.  Let’s press  on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shipwrecked

“She didn’t make it.”   “He never got here.”   “We came up short.”    The gut-wrenching words of a surgeon uttered somberly in a hospital waiting room to frantic parents.    The words of a friend reporting the progress of his buddy’s journey.   Words disclosing the disappointing results of a fund raiser.   Sad words.   Difficult words.   Life-altering words.   Think about these words from 1 Timothy, 18  This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,   19  holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,   20  among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Or these words from 2 Timothy 4:10, 10  For  Demas,  in love with  this present world,  has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.   Crescens has gone to Galatia,   Titus to Dalmatia. Shipwreck and desert
Read more

Talking and Listening to God

  When we use the silent treatment in a relationship typically it’s a manipulative technique that’s abusive and counter-productive.   But that’s not to say that using silence even in discipline can’t be effective.   God uses silence as discipline (Amos 8:11-12).   Employing silence can work for a leader in group situations.   I’ve coached youth basketball for many years.   There have been times when our team has walked into the locker room at halftime every player jabbering away, often pooling ignorance.   They have their opinions about what’s worked and what hasn’t.   When they sit and should be listening, they’re often still talking even when I start to give my input.   The room is filled with voices.   Some needing to be silenced.   One needing to be heard.   With everyone talking no one is really listening.   At this point I could and often have screamed to get their attention.   It’s worked.   But often a better way is to simply stop talking, arms folded with a bit of a glare.  
Read more

Loving by Sacrificing

I began a recent sermon with this admission.   I listen to “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” in the car and even in the church office, occasionally.   That’s my present practice at age 61 at my current level of maturity in Christ.   And, thanks be to God because of His faithful activity in my life, I think I’ve grown much toward Christlikeness over the years of my walk with God. Now, I want you to note that I deliberately used the word admission rather than confession because I don’t regard these listening choices as a stubborn act of rebellion against God, or secret sin I’m trying to hide from the world. My conscience is clear when I put on the headphones, turn up the volume and risk damaging my eardrums.   This is my “jam” like we used to say.   I do the same with Beethoven’s Fifth by the way. The journey (I listen to them too) I’ve traveled to get to this place where I enjoy every second in the “Free Bird” guitar and drum marathon, has been one of extremes.    On the one
Read more