I reflect a lot on time. Its passage. Its irredeemable nature. Once its gone its gone. You don't get it back. I think about pacing. Reflect on how I have so little patience because of time's irreversible character. I focus now more than ever on proper use of time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: states, "For everything there is a
season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time
to die".
This passage reflects the inevitable cycle of life and death that applies to all people. The pace at which we live those lives is our own. How we chose to live those lives is our own. Pace is life experience over time. Rushed judgment lacks wisdom. The Bible directly warns that rushed, hasty thinking is foolish and leads to poor outcomes. Instead, scripture consistently encourages seeking wisdom through careful thought, patience, and godly counsel. Counsel literally requires a person to stop and consult with God. It requires people to think not react.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God…
The pace of life refers to the rate at which changes,
events, and activities occur in a given context, whether it's an individual's
life, a community, or a culture. A fast pace of life is characterized by
rapid change and a high density of experiences, while a slow pace of life
emphasizes quality over quantity and a more relaxed rhythm. The former
just feels cluttered, intense, overbearing. The latter emanates a vibe, instead
of the relentless running down of a clock. The latter also shows an embracing
of ebb and flow. Time is still relevant but it is not paramount. A recognition
of true life’s, ebb and flow. A heartbeat. Cadence. A breathing in and a breathing out…just as God breathed life into
man. Everything created over time in a preordained divine sequence.
Wise decision-making relies on God's guidance, not haste or forcing the pace. Impatience is foolish, while patience is understanding. The Bible contrasts a "hasty spirit" with understanding. Proverbs states that being slow to anger demonstrates great understanding, while a hasty temper is linked to folly. Ecclesiastes also warns against being quick to anger. Intensity focused in a Godly manner is glory to God but forcing the pace faster distorts the scale of life. Incorrect pacing changes the quality. Foreshortening it. Truncating an otherwise ideal condition thereby tainting its quality and outcome. There is an optimal setting for all systems including the pace of our thinking. There is a direct correlation or pace to quality of life. Leave the race to the rats.
The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes highlight the
negative outcomes of poor pacing and acting without thought, linking impulsive
actions to mistakes (Proverbs 19:2), hasty words to foolishness (Ecclesiastes
5:2–3), quick temper to folly (Proverbs 14:29), and hasty work to poverty
(Proverbs 21:5). In contrast to rushed thinking, biblical wisdom involves
patience and thoughtful reflection. This includes being quick to hear and slow
to speak and anger (James 1:19), trusting in God rather than one's own
understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Instead of rushing or relying solely on personal
understanding, the Bible encourages seeking God's guidance and waiting
patiently for direction. This involves trusting in the Lord and acknowledging
Him to make paths straight. Believers are also encouraged to ask God for wisdom
and to pray about concerns rather than being anxious. All of which require additional
time. The time a proper pace allows.
So, once you have this time allotted to you through proper
management of it…what are you to do with it? Apply your mind to your time. The
Bible tells us to redeem the time. What does that mean? It means to make the
most of every opportunity. Opportunities are not guarantees. They are not
assured in life. The very nature of opportunities is that they are transient
and fleeting. They are a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do
something or not do something. They are gifts of grace from a timeless God
giving us precise usable circumstances within time. From a biblical point of view,
it means to make the most of the time you have by using it wisely and
productively, especially for meaningful or eternal purposes.
Ephesians 5:16 …making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil.
Ephesians passage implies that time is a valuable asset that
can be lost if not actively used well. Redeeming time involves making
purposeful choices, avoiding distractions, prioritizing your divine purpose,
and taking actions in a deliberate planned manner to focus on what truly
matters.
An opportunity seen to fruition is a goal completed in a
deliberate planned and paced manner. Without God none of this is possible. Deliberate
pacing and planning of our goals recognizes that God establishes our plans
and we should rely on His wisdom, not our own. The overarching goal for
Christians is a spiritual one, to "…press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Pressing towards
something is intentionally paced effort. Anything less is misused time that
can no longer be redeemed.
Slow and steady (deliberateness) wins the race.
Hebrews 12:1- “…let us also lay aside every weight,
and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.” The imagery suggests that a faithful,
persistent effort is what is needed to finish the course, not a quick start or
impulsive spasmic movement.
The concept of plans themselves require time. Time had to exist for our birth and death to happen. Both of which are planned by God. There needed to be time for man to make choices. There had to be time for a Resurrection to happen too...which was God's plan to redeem man. Man requires time to chose that God's plan of Resurrection redeemed man. A slow deliberate unrolling of plan in time. Jesus and salvation foreknown before the foundations of the world slowly and consistently revealed in Scripture. God paced his very self-revelation to man so man could understand.
