Time Conflicts
Good Morning,
One of the most common and well-understood concepts in life is that there is not enough time to do all that we believe needs to be done.
In college, I remember hearing from “‘Chapel Quotes’, by Bob Jones Sr.: ‘Duties never conflict.’” Yet, in life, I feel that the battle to decide which duty is a priority is constant. What I believe needs to be done is rarely NOT in conflict with something else I feel MUST be done.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
The word purpose means it is intentional and that God is happy with it. God has a purpose for everything that happens. When we feel we cannot get every job done, we must remember that a purpose exists for our not getting everything done. When there is not enough rain, animals die. When there are floods, everything gets messed up.
There is a time to die, but most of us do not think it is our or our parents’ TIME. There is a time to war, but again, many people would never feel there is a time to fight. Observe nature: suffering, death, loneliness, forest fires, drought, pestilence, earthquakes, and floods. No one plans these discomforts, yet these discomforts happen every day. Yes, human discomforts are a product of the flood, but God still has a purpose, and He is not dead!
Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
We should FEAR some things. We should fear God. We should tremble before Him, but to fall apart because everything is not ideal is foolish.
Ecclesiastes 3:3 “A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;”
We may not like the timing God has in His design, but we can trust the God Who controls the timing.
There is a time to lose:
Ecclesiastes 3:6 “A time to get, and a time to lose…”
A time will come when we will “seem” to fail, but failure is not always understood. When we get to Heaven, we will have a far better perspective on life. Did Paul understand being hungry? Probably not, but he did say, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Philippians 4:12)
Paul made clear that the plans of God were not always “seen” or understood. We do not need to panic.
Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
We want to have a clear view of each step, a reason for each situation (of course the OCD folks want everything done on schedule and in an orderly manner, Ha! Ha!). Try being a parent, a pastor, a businessman, or even a missionary; you will see how little is in your control.
Dr. Wendell Evans, our Bible college president, posted the quote, “DO YOUR BEST AND HANG THE REST” on the wall during finals. His intent was to remind us that we are not going to get everything done, nor will we accomplish everything in a timely manner. We should try, and we should prayerfully plan and execute; but when we do not get everything accomplished, we must rest in the Lord. If you could get it all together, you would not need to rest in God; you would rest in YOU— a big difference.
The cross of Calvary is all about failed people in a failed world — and abounding love. Do not stray from that simple truth.
Pastor