This issue of time running out is repeatedly coming up in my life right now. 

There’s just no time to get anything done because it feels like time has sped up. 

For instance, where did summer go? Weren’t schools just getting out and now all the kids are preparing to go back. The week flies by and suddenly the weekend is here, but poof, it’s gone before relaxation can set in.

Is this just me? Anyone else feel like someone is holding the fast forward button down on their lives?

It makes me want to dive into the concept of time in the Bible. What does God have to say about time?

Bible scholars point out that God does not live in our concept of time. Revelation 1: 8 states, ‘“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”’ The alpha meaning beginning and omega meaning end. God is the beginning and the ending all at the same time. While our concept of time is linear meaning it starts and ends, God is forever existing in the moment whether in our concept of past or our concept of future. He just is. He’s forever there.

It’s definitely complicated to think about. When I think about time I think about it starting when I was born and measured by seconds, minutes, hours, years, but time cannot be measured if it is in a constant state of being beginning and end. 

It’s incomprehensible to the human mind. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Eternity. It’s definition means unending time. God has set eternity in our hearts yet we cannot understand it. 

Because we cannot understand it…yet, this feeling that time is running out is a constant whisper at my ear. 

Perhaps we need to keep in mind that someday, in heaven, time will be unending and so for now we should keep our minds set on the things we can understand.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us how we understand time:

Perhaps I’m just in a season where running is necessary. Perhaps I need to gather my stones more quickly this time around. Maybe I need to mend quicker in this season than my last. Perhaps I need to love like never before because my time to love on this earth is coming to an end and I’ll love differently in the new heaven and new earth when Jesus takes us home. 

This urgency reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins. Jesus told his disciples a story of ten virgins who took their lamps in wait for their bridegroom. Five were wise and took extra oil in case their lamps ran out. Five were foolish and did not take extra oil and had to leave to go get more oil and missed the coming of their bridegroom. At the end of the story Jesus warns the disciples that they should always keep watch. 

To me this parable highlights the importance to be forever vigilant and prepared because you never know when the time will come.

There it is again. Time. Forever creeping up on you. 

But someday, I’ll have time unending.

On this fallen earth, my concept of time will end when I die or Jesus returns while I’m still alive. 

Until then, my understanding of time will be limited to my capacity to comprehend time as explained in the Bible. And today I can comprehend that I’m in a season of urgency and preparedness. 

I want to use my time to worship God. I want to use my time to glorify Him with my talents. I want to use my time to bring more people to know Him.

What do you want to do with your time?