Time passes by quickly, doesn’t it? The days, months, and years seem to rush by at a rapid pace. And so, as one year finishes and another begins, how are you going to make the most of the time God is giving you?
Solomon, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes, pondered this exact same question. What is the best way to spend the few days we have on earth? One of his big observations is that people find plenty of wrong ways to spend their time. He says, “This only have I found. God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes” (7:29). In other words, people didn’t like to be dependent upon God. They wanted independence, and in the end, God gave it to them. But the result of living without God is the chaos we see all around us. It’s a heavy burden living life today, with so many wandering aimlessly through life without the guidance of their Creator.
But thankfully, Solomon says, there is also a right and good way to use our time. He says God makes a promise to you and me. He says, “Use your time My way, and I will make everything beautiful in its time.” In other words, what He’s saying is, God can bring dancing out of mourning. He can bring blessing out of cursing. He can bring beauty out of ashes… and He does it all the time!
But the key is this: We don’t rule God out of the equation, because leaving Him out leads to meaninglessness. He is the meaning. He’s the point. Factor Him in, and you come to this conclusion: The chief duty of man is to fear God, honor Him, revere Him, worship Him, love Him, and serve Him. So, acknowledge Him as you eat, as you drink, as you dance, as you mourn, as you laugh, as you cry, in all the times and all the seasons. And remember, life only makes sense with God at the center.
Do you know what you’ll begin to discover if you live this way? God will make everything beautiful. This doesn’t mean life will be without heartache and pain, but you will be able to find meaning amongst the joys and sorrows that come your way, because you know the God who is behind all of them, and you can trust in His good plans for you.
So, remember your Creator, preferably in the days of your youth because time will run out. The day will come, quicker than you think, when you don’t have the option to decide which way to go. So now, as you think about how you will spend your time this year, join me in acknowledging the sovereignty of our Father in Heaven, saying to Him: “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).