Tuesday - time difference

Prayer:    Great God,  You have made us Yours and we rejoice in the knowledge of Your love through Jesus Christ our Lord.  We will live this day in the love of You and in obedience to Your Holy Will.  Give us Your enabling grace to do the work You ask us to do.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen (Adapted from “Prayers for all Occasions”  Forward Movement Press, 1964).

Time.  We all have been given the same 24 hours.  God has been gracious and provided each of us with the same 24 hours.    Yet have you ever noticed that some people seem to run on 36 hour days while others sigh and get discouraged with having 12 hours in a day?

There are two types of time.  Both are Greek words that mean time but differing types of time.  Chronos is the chronological or sequential time.  Kairos is the moment when something special happens.   

God’s time is kairos (the moment of opportunity),   while we frequently focus on chronos (ongoing time).      We say we are too busy to read our Bibles or to pray.   Too busy.  This statement is a “chronos” statement.  It is concerned with only ongoing time.     Statements such as “I am too busy to read the Bible or to say prayers” means we are focussing only upon ourselves.   Aha.     Time Wisdom means we focus upon God.  We  start our days with prayer and reading the Bible.   

Here is a chart that Stephen Cherry uses in his book as an example of the differences between Time Management (Chronos)  and Time Wisdom (Kairos)

Time Management	Time Wisdom
Focus is  on projects and deadlines	Focus applies to the whole of life
Focus on self – what can I get done	Focus on the wider community or team – how can we make the biggest difference
Focus on doing more in less time	Focus on doing the most important things as well as possible
Sees time as a limited and scarce resource	Sees time as both plentiful and relative
Does not take time for the reading of God’s word nor prayer	As God has provided  plentiful time,  then we are provided the wisdom to seek God daily.

Stephen Cherry,  “Beyond Busyness:  Time Wisdom for Ministry”   Sacristy Press, 2012.

Read  Ecclesiastes  3:  1 – 8

Read this passage very slowly.   After each sentence,  pause and listen for the voice of God.    Ask yourself what is the difference between chronos and kairos in this portion of scripture.

How will you take what you have learned today and prepare to  worship God?

Prayer:   Slow us down Lord so that we make the time to see You today.  Slow us down Lord so that we can seek Your wisdom this day.  Slow us down Lord so that You can show us the important things for this day.  This we ask in Your Son’s name.  Amen.

Many blessings!