Pastor’s Place: What is this time for?

By Jason Hillier, Campus Pastor, Valley Creek Church Flower Mound

What time is it?

It’s a question we ask a lot. Clocks. Schedules. Calendars. They all demand an answer to that question.

But what if it’s the wrong question? You see in God’s Kingdom the more important question is “what is this time for?”

In the Scripture there are two primary words for time: Chronos and Kairos.

Chronos is where we get our word “chronological.” It helps us keep track of hours and minutes, birthdays, and anniversaries. Kairos is different.  It connotates moments and seasons.

Chronos keeps us asking “what time is it?”  Kairos inquires “what is this time for?”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

You are like, “Yep! It’s a back to school, time for football and Pumpkin Spice Latte season!” Nope, that is Chronos. Those are events connected to our annual calendars.

The deeper question is what is God doing in us, through us, and around us this season? More specifically, what is it time for that glorifies the Lord? What healthy relationships should we be cultivating? What is God depositing into us for the season ahead?

Often, the difference between feeling stuck, frustrated (or even hopeless) about a situation is viewing it with spiritual eyes vs. natural eyes. When you ask God “what is this time for?” a season of frustration becomes a season to grow in patience. A season of sickness becomes a chance to experience deep peace. A season of relational tension becomes an opportunity to approach others with compassion.

You’ll begin to see your life and the people around you as an extension of the goodness of God rather than a series of relationships to be managed and tasks to be accomplished.

Freshman in college, what is this time for?

Parents of littles, what is this time for?

Retirees, what is this time for?

It’s time. It’s time to think differently about time. It’s time to embrace the question “What is it time for that glorifies the Lord?”

The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.