Now is a perfect moment to start treating time the way Jesus did
Mondays feel like Fridays don’t they? We’re trying to keep a sense of normal by keeping pace with the calendar. Sometimes I rage against my loss of control with my calendar (like more meetings will fix this). But every where I look in the Scriptures, Jesus was alive to the moment. We should learn from Jesus right now; He never missed moments because he was counting down minutes.
2 Types of Time in the New Testament
The New Testament has two concepts of time: “chronos” and “kairos”. God is over both, but their differences are crucial.
Chronos runs our modern lives. Chronos describes the hours, minutes, and seconds that command our calendar, set our iPhone alarms, and make us early or late. Chronos is time by quantity; it’s an unavoidable reality of our universe and important for daily life. But there are some things chronos can’t describe.
Chronos can send save-the-dates, but Kairos is the moment the bride & groom say “I do”.
Kairos doesn’t run our lives, it defines them. Think back on all the defining moments that have changed the trajectories of your life. These are all on kairos time. Kairos is not coincidence, karma, or the universe — kairos is God at work. Jesus picks “kairos” to announce his impending death in John 12:23. Kairos is time by quality, a matrix of meaning, purpose, and opportunity infused in a singular moment in the hand of God.
3 Ways To Embrace Kairos Right Now
Remember God’s goodness by looking to the past kairos moments
In the book of Joshua, God had his people build a memorial of 12 stones. The memorial was a callback for future generations to the moment God brought his people into the promised land. The callback to yesterday is a call to worship today. Whatever moment you find yourself in is an opportunity for faith.
Decide what faith looks like for you right now
Faith is action, not fantasy. Christian faith is a demonstrated trust in a real living Word, Jesus, lived in the real world around real people. These unique moments should be met by unique faith in followers of Jesus. What’s going on in your neighborhood, in your online school portal, in your home? Do you know? These are the frontlines of our faith. But, we need some handles on that journey.
Keep a journal next to that calendar
Calendars can’t grasp kairos, but journals can. Church father Irenaus says, “the glory of God is man fully alive.” Alive to what? To our appointments? Or to the moments of meaning every day? One day, we’ll be through and past COVID-19. What will you show for it? A folder of memes? of Zoom backgrounds? A journal is a practical way to train our minds & hearts to see God in His word and at work in the world around us. When we soak our hearts in Scripture with prayer, and put pen to paper, we train our eyes to see every moment with a sort of opportunity and life only God’s Spirit can give.
Don’t miss the moment because we’re counting minutes. God is at work.
Jared Stacy 