Time…it’s one of those things that either passes so slowly that it’s almost painful, or it goes by so quickly that you’re not sure where it went. Sometimes this can happen at the same time. When our children were small, for instance, time seemed to go by so slowly as they required so much attention and care. But the next day you turn around, and they’ve grown and are ready to leave home!
There are 2 words for ‘time’ in the Greek…’kairos’ and ‘chronos’. Kairos is defined as an opportune time, a strategic time, a suddenly, a defining moment. It is the reward of working…the harvest, payday. It’s the fulfillment of a promise, it’s the answer to our prayers. We don’t often know when this time will come, and we cannot make it happen. In Acts chapter 9 we read about Saul’s encounter with Jesus…this is a kairos moment. Jesus spoke, and Saul’s life was forever changed. He went from persecuting Jesus-followers to becoming a Jesus-follower in a single encounter. Kairos is exciting and rewarding!
Chronos is in many ways the opposite…it’s the mundane, day-to-day existence. This is where we get the word “chronological”. It happens in order, and is often predictable. It’s a time of growing, and learning. It’s working. It’s investing. After Saul’s encounter with Jesus, he spent the next 12-14 years in a season of chronos…learning, studying, listening to Holy Spirit, and beginning to teach what he’s learned. Only after this season did Saul become Paul, the apostle (Galatians 2). Chronos time is necessary, yet sometimes requires much perseverance. If we’re not careful, chronos can leave us feeling stuck, like things are never going to change. It can cause our faith to falter, and our hope to grow dim.
We experience chronos in many areas of life. I already mentioned parenting, but it also can apply in our work, in our relationships, in our churches, in our country. Are you in a chronos season right now? Do you feel like you’re simply going through the motions, and that it will never change? Take heart! Be encouraged! Those things God has promised you will come…at the perfect time, in the perfect way! Don’t give up! He’s not done. You may not see Him right now, but He’s working, He’s setting things up, creating your kairos moment. This season is not wasted! Embrace it. Learn from it. Let it shape you into the man or woman God created you to be. Then, when God steps in, things can change in a moment, no matter how hopeless they appear! Nothing…no situation…is impossible for God! (Matthew 19:26)
Psalm 24:9-10 says, “So wake up, you living gateways, and rejoice! Fling wide, you ageless doors of destiny! Here He comes, the King of Glory is ready to come in. You ask, “who is this King of Glory?” He is the Lord of Victory, armed and ready for battle, the Mighty One, the invincible commander of heaven’s hosts! Yes, He is the King of Glory!”
