Times and Seasons
Kingdom Law
There are physical laws in any nation – if you drive your car over the speed limit (physical law) you are likely to get a ticket (physical consequence) There are natural laws in our world--if you throw a rock in the air gravity (natural law) will make sure that it comes down on your head giving you a headache (natural consequence). Much the same exists with laws of the spirit – they exist and not obeying them gives consequence.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck 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; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw 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 of war, and a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Thematically throughout the scripture, these spiritual laws seemed to be agriculturally based. These laws are not limited to believers – they are universal spiritual laws that affect all of creation. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 is a verse I am sure is not unfamiliar to you.
Times and Seasons
According to Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” There are two different words used in this verse to describe time. Chronos and Kairos.
Chronos - means chronological order. For example, time moves in chronological order. 8:00 a.m. comes before 9:00 a.m. We attend kindergarten before first grade and 3rd grade before 4th. This is Chronos time. We operate in Chronos time every day from the moment our alarm goes off in the morning until our head rejoins that pillow at night.
Kairos – means season. We understand seasons as winter, spring, summer, and fall. This of course is true, but we also have other seasons in our lives. We have seasons of maturing – say going through puberty. Each person does not go through all those changes according to a “chronos” schedule, they go through it in a season unique to them.
The further verses of Ecclesiastes describe “seasons” of our lives that we will go through—whether we want to or not. Seasons are as much a part of life as Chronos time. In Vs. 9-10 it touches on us as humans toiling and struggling within these seasons, and it asks the question, “What profit is there?” The answer, is NONE. We need to learn to walk in seasons “Kairos” time as much as we walk in “Chronos” time.
The Truth in learning to walk in times and seasons of the Kingdom is summed up in Verse 11.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart…”
One of the biggest transitions of moving from the life you led before you believed in kingdom life is a change in our understanding of time. God does NOT work on a schedule as we do – He never sleeps or slumbers. Things that may seem like eternal tragedies to us are a moment in time for God. When we embrace an eternal time perspective we begin to see things as God does and our schedule lines up with that of the Kingdom, not the world.
We see things as temporary realities, life’s ups and downs. God’s Word says that He makes everything beautiful in its time and as we understand that, then He sets an eternal clock within our heart. Shifting our mindset and comprehension of time, results in the removal of power from any unseen temporary event and puts it into the hands of the Eternal God – where it belongs.