If We Don’t Seize The Time For Jesus, We'll Cease In Our Time For Him!

Ephesians 5:1-17 KJV Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Colossians 4:5 KJV

THE TIME CONUNDRUM OR ENIGMA

From his birth man is given an allotted quota of time. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12 KJV

365 x 24 x 60 x 60 is the amount of seconds we have in a year.

In 2013 each person starts with the identical amount of time. None is given more or less!

1 year

365 days

8,760 hours

525,600 minutes

31,536, 000 seconds

For those who work an 8 hour day for 5 days per week that is 2080 hours per year (87 days)

If you sleep approx 6 hours per day that is 2190 hours per year (91 days)

For those who commute approximately 1 and a half hours per day it's about 547 hours (23 days)

Meals an hour per day makes it 365 hours per year (15 days)

Shopping at 2 hours per week makes it 104 hours per year (4 days)

Movie time per week at 4 hours makes it 208 hours per year (7 days)

Private time for personal hygiene at 1 hour daily is 365 hours per year (15 days)

Making it to one church service per week lasting approximately 2 hours gives 104 hours per year (4 days)

That’s 246 days leaving 119 days at a VERY conservative estimate. (Charts)

How much of that will be idle time and how much will be useful? How will the time we are given be used in this year?

CHRONOLOGICAL TIME VS OPPORTUNE TIME

Two major Greek words are used for time in the New Testament kairos and chromos.

According to the Word Study Dictionary we have these meanings:

chrónos; gen. chrónou, masc. noun. Time. This word perceives time quantitatively as a period measured by the succession of objects and events and denotes the passing of moments. Another word, kairós (G2540), season, the time of accomplishment, considers time qualitatively as a period characterized by the influence or prevalence of something. Chrónos is a period of measured time, not a period of accomplishment as kairós. Chrónos embraces all possible kairoí (pl.), and is often used as the larger and more inclusive term, but not the converse. In the NT: (Word Study Dictionary)

kairós; gen. kairoú, masc. noun. Season, opportune time. It is not merely as a succession of minutes, which is chrónos (G5550), but a period of opportunity (though not necessity). There is really no Eng. equivalent to the word kairós, appropriate or opportune time, which when used in the pl. with chrónoi (times), is translated as "seasons," times at which certain foreordained events take place. (Word Study Dictionary)

Lysippus a 4th century BC Greek sculptor made a statue of Kairos called Opportunity, on which the following Aesop's fable is based

Running swiftly, balancing on the razor's edge, bald but with a lock of hair on his forehead, he wears no clothes; if you grasp him from the front, you might be able to hold him, but once he has moved on not even Jupiter himself can pull him back: this is a symbol of Opportunity, the brief moment in which things are possible.