Enough Time

One thing that marks life in the 21st century, at least in the city of Sydney, is a lack of time. We have more time-saving tools, faster transport and instant communication. Yet we seem busier than ever and more rushed for time. We go from place to place trying fit more into our already busy diaries.

The classic answer to this problem is that we need to manage our priorities better. And certainly this is a vital part of the solution. We need to be proactive about spending the time where it matters most. The Bible is clear that what matters most in life is our relationships – our relationship with God and with others (Matthew 22:34-40). Managing our priorities is a must.

But there is another vital perspective we need to grasp if we want to live life better. It is live life with the Bible’s view of time. In 2 Peter 3:8, it says that to God ‘a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day’. God is not limited like we are and he is not in a hurry when it comes to time. God’s purpose always prevails across the generations (Isa 40:6-8).

And God rules not only across time, God is also rules within time. In Psalm 127 we read:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to [a] those he loves.

Human success does not ultimately depend on how hard we work or how much time we have. At the end of the day it depends entirely on God’s blessing. God can grant success in a short amount of time or over a long period of time. It is his blessing that counts in whatever we are trying to achieve.

The great news is that God generously gives us enough time to do all that is necessary as well as to enjoy the fruit of that work on our day off. This is the basis of God’s command to Israel to not only rest every seventh day (Ex 20:8-11), but also every seventh year! (Lev 25:1-7, 20-22). God promised that he would provide such a bumper crop in the sixth year that they would be covered for a full three years. It was not time or effort that counted, but the promise of God’s blessing as they obeyed his command to keep the Sabbath. We can work all we like, but it is he who grants success to those who loves.

It is within this perspective of God’s sovereignty that we need to learn to be less frantic when it comes to time. God is not only sovereign over time, he generously gives us enough time for all that we need to do and to also enjoy his good gifts. He calls us to slow down enough to take stock of who is in control and what is most important. And God promises that when we set our priorities right, he will never leave us lacking anything (Mtt 6:33).

Pastor Owen Seto.

How do I fit into God’s plans?

Many people today wonder what to do with their lives. What job or career should I pursue? Should I work in Sydney or should I go overseas? The current GFC has probably put a halt to some of our plans. But the question remains: what should I do with my life?

The Bible’s answer is to begin with a bigger question: What are God’s plans for the world? What is God doing right now and how do I fit into his plans? God is not standing idly by as the world tumbles from one global disaster to another. God is not standing idly by hoping we’ll fix our own problems our own way.

God has in fact already revealed his plan to bring an end to all evil. God has set a day when he will bring an end to all wars, all sickness, and every natural disaster. It will be a new world order, ‘the home of righteousness’. A picture of this future is given to us in Revelation:

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4)

This picture of perfect peace is what the world is destined for, where it will no longer be a self-centred, dog-eat-dog world, based on insecurity and greed. Instead God will be with his people and he will be their God. He will rule over them perfectly and lovingly through his Son Jesus.

This is the work God is doing right now as the message of Jesus is preached. It is a message of forgiveness and relationship with God, a relationship that begins now and will last for eternity in God’s new world order. And it begins now as we submit our lives under the perfect rule of King Jesus.

As Christians, we experience a foretaste of the new world now as God transforms us to be more like Jesus. He calls us to no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus who died for us (2Cor 5:15). He calls us to live for his kingdom and his future. In practice this means that serving God’s kingdom will be my highest priority (Matt 6:33). My decision-making will be based on what will best promote the message about Jesus. And I will seek to live such a life that will bring most glory to him (1Pet 2:11-12).

The better question to ask therefore is: Am I part of God’s plans for the future? How will what I do fit into his plans? And how can I best serve him with the gifts and opportunities he has given me today?

Pastor Owen Seto – English Assistant Pastor/elder