Pause
Tick. Tick. Tick. That’s the clock. Measuring time in seconds, minutes, hours, days… Time that we schedule and manage and spend. The Ancient Greek word for this time is chronos.
Take a minute to feel the chronos passing by.
But there is another kind of time. It’s the right moment for the right action. It’s God’s time – and our time with God. It’s when Eternity meets our experience. The Greek word for this sense of time kairos.
Breathe in and out, sensing God’s presence, and enter into kairos – knowing that God has words you need to hear today.
next >Listen
Lord, you have been our help, generation after generation. Before the mountains were born, before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world— from forever in the past to forever in the future, you are God.
Psalm 90:1-2
next >Think
These words praise both God’s timelessness and trustworthiness. Since the beginning of time we have been and always will be able to trust in God’s help; both chronos (generation to generation) and kairos (God’s creative & saving acts). God has always been; God is; God always will be.
This week’s theme for our devotions is using our time wisely. Do you like when teachers say you need to manage your time more effectively? I don’t! I have “issues” with time management because I have trouble setting limits. And that makes me stressed and frustrated. When we are learning or working from home, that presents even more challenges. So how do we manage chronos in light of kairos?
We can ask ourselves: What is most important to do right now? What are my goals? Who is most important? What is God calling me to do today? Those are your priorities, and once you set them, you and God will be in sync. Breathe deeply; God IS, and your time is in God’s hands.
Kay Zimmerman
next >Pray
Oh God, help me today to know what you are calling me to do, and help me to follow through. When I stress out, calm me down. Remind me that all time is in your hands, not mine. Amen.
next >Go
Thank God for today.
Open yourself to God’s surprises.
Do what is most important.
Accept that you can’t do everything.
You are blessed and loved.
Kay Zimmerman is a mother, grandmother, retired teacher, and wife of a retired pastor in Greensboro, NC. She has served as an adult leader for Teens Encounter Christ and as a chaperone to the 2009 National Lutheran Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Now she tutors, mentors, and volunteers in schools and church. Her life’s mission is to live out Micah 6:8. She loves the outdoors, traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Day by Day
Carter Harrell