Spiritually Speaking: God's Time Trumps Everything
James Washington
James Washington

As many of you know, I am really fascinated by the concept of time, especially time as delineated in the bible. I mean really, what is time? First, let me submit that time for us human beings, in its simplest form, is the so called conscious reality we experience between birth and death. One’s consciousness is the sum total of “time,” as we know it spent in the body you currently inhabit.

You do not control when you are born or when you die, unless you commit suicide of course. But you can to some degree, control your time and how you spend/invest it. I would imagine that the older you get, the more value you place on time. I know I do.

There is definitely a huge difference in how I invest my time now and how I frivolously spent it in my youth. Spending my time wisely is indeed more than just a trite phrase. Quality time, in no uncertain terms, begins to take on monumental proportions, when considered against the backdrop of the revelation that time is the most important thing we have. Revelation 1:8 tells us “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Isn’t it fascinating that Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God himself, is the focal point of how we, measure human existence, how the world measures time?

Historical time is either B.C. (before Christ) or, A.D (after His death). Scripture even tells us the best use of our time should be spent searching for, finding and then honoring the Almighty by mirroring as best we can, the life of His son Jesus. If any of what I’m saying has merit, then wasting time must be viewed as one big unacceptable sin. The mystery of life is easily solved by using and spending life’s most precious and most fleeting commodity (time) wisely. That’s probably why unconditional love is so rare.

Now stay with me. To recognize unconditional love is to want to spend time with it, be in its presence forever. I mean what are the most precious memories that you have? Aren’t they those of time spent in the presence of a lost loved one, husband, wife, a friend no longer around, a partner of extreme sensitivity (to you), a child of unlimited potential or, a parent or relative now deceased?

Tell the truth. More often than not, you appreciate time when it’s already gone, when you don’t have enough of it anymore. I guess what it boils down to is for those who recognize the real value of time, they prioritize its use properly, God, family and everything else. Time is a key to our existence. It is the essence of life as we know it. Unfortunately most of us measure time in our consciousness as minutes, hours, days etc.

Fortunately for us God measures time a little differently. He has a real grasp on eternity as should we. My point is time like money, should never be squandered. The result of squandering time is basically a bankrupt soul and that is much more severe than a bankrupt pocketbook. May God bless and keep you always.