site search by freefind |
”As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. Ps. 103:15-18
It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day events of life that we miss the big picture, the importance of time. There are two extremes into which it is easy to fall:
1. That everything is so important we are crushed by the pressure of too much to do or of needing to have everything exactly right, or
2. That nothing really matters in the long run - what will be, will be. The above verses give us balance.
First, we remember we are only here for a short time. When you look at life in the light of eternity or even in the light of the history of the world, it is very short. This world has been around for about six thousand years and may continue for another six thousand years, burning the dinner is not really going to have a big impact.
This helps us put things into perspective even when major [to us] disasters happen - being fired, having a death in the family, financial stress, relationship problems, etc. It hurts, no question about it. But, when you are able, step back and take a look at the big picture. God sees your life from beginning to end. Somehow this is a part of a beautiful picture He is painting. We may not understand how it is going to look in the end - to us it is all black - but a trust in God says it will work out for good.
Ready for a bigger picture? God not only sees your life from beginning to end and how every incident fits in, but also He sees how your life - yes, YOUR life - fits into the importance of time in world history that He as been drawing since the dawn of time, and will complete when Jesus returns. Your life has value.
This also applies to nations and global situations. Disasters come, but they have a part to play in the Big Picture and God is turning them for good in the long run. Look back through history and you can see good coming out of some great disasters which the people living through them certainly never saw. New life often comes through the pain of childbirth.
Second, it is tempting to think that nothing we do really matters. We feel that it will all be swallowed in the mass of time, that the importance of time is an illusion. Will people 1,000 years from now care that we lived or what we did? Maybe they won’t, but God will. Our actions do count not only in our lives, but also in generations to come. If we will follow God, we will have our place in the Big Picture when God is finished His art work. Even if God has given you what seems like an insignificant part, in His eyes it is not. He will keep His covenant and mercy to those who follow after you. One brick at a time the building rises. You may be surprised in the end. Just live everyday faithfully and after death you will be able to watch the part you played continue to grow in ways you don’t even dream of now. Don't downplay the importance of time.
For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page.