Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Art Buchwald said, “Whether it’s the best or worst of times doesn’t matter, it’s the only time you’ve got.” Pink Floyd sang, “And you run, and you run, to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking and racing around to come up behind you again; the sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older, shorter of breath, and one day closer to death.” Think about the times and seasons of your life. Maybe you’re just starting out or mid-way or coming to the end of your race. In what ways do you find your times comforting? What concerns you?
The author of Ecclesiastes said this in chapter 3 about time:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”
Maybe you feel that time is moving too fast or too slow. But why? Isn’t God in charge? God has appointed the times and seasons in the poem and in your life, everything in due course. Maybe you feel like you’re “spinning your wheels” or wasting time. Maybe the time and season you’re in today is very painful. These are times to trust God, that He is in charge and your hardships are part of His plan. He is in control. Your suffering won’t last forever. Because God has appointed the times and has a bigger plan, you can rest and find comfort and enjoy your season.
If God were not in charge, then yes, it all would be meaningless and absurd. What’s the point of it all? Many people live their lives apart from God and come to this conclusion. But we who know and follow Christ know there is meaning to be had in the in’s and out’s and patterns and cycles and seasons of life. Although we may not be in charge of much of life that’s written about in this poem, God is in charge, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
The good news is that God has given His children work to be busy with. He makes everything beautiful in its time, and He has put eternity into man’s heart; we get a glimpse of Him and His plans, even if we don’t have all the answers. God has given us a good gift in all the times an seasons; let us be joyful and do good as long as we live, that we would eat and drink and take pleasure in all our work and give glory to Him in all things at all times.