It's About Time

Ecclesiastes 13: 1-3
"There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
What do people really get for all their hard work? I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God."

I read this a couple of days ago in my quiet time and I love it. I think I love it for different reasons. One is because it lets me know that whatever is happening in my life, it's about time for it. There's a time for me to study, there's a time for me to work, there's a time for me to be with friends, there's a time for me to be with family...for every activity that I want to be a part of, there's a time for it. Then there are activities that I don't want to be a part of, a time to grieve, a time to turn away, a time to cry.

So this passage can be somewhat convicting, even though I may not want to take part in these times, I need to...it can be good for me. Something else convicting about this passage....a time to speak up! That's a tough one for me...but I know that God has called me into youth ministry and placed me in a position of leadership and authority and I should speak up...sometimes though I'm unsure and I question myself like, what if I say the wrong thing, what if it doesn't come out right, what if they think I'm talking about God just because I work at a church? But it is reassuring to read, "God has made everything beautiful for its own time", when I'm feeling like I can't do it, or I'm not good enough, or I don't know enough. Here He reminds me not to worry, that He'll make it beautiful. Yeah, I need to speak up for Jesus more and tell my stories and His stories.

And my favorite part of this passage are the last two sentences, which you should read over again. These words of encouragement leave me joyful and lighthearted.