It was 4 o’clock in the morning, and there I was, lying awake in bed. Since I thought my chances of falling back asleep were slim to none, and I had told myself I had to stay in bed at least another hour, my mind naturally turned to this month’s newsletter theme: time, and its role in Christian discipleship.
“Ok, mind,” I thought, “since now you’ve got time to think about time, what do you think? I feel both pressed for time and that there is so much one could say about this — where do I even begin?” I asked myself, with a hint of sarcasm.
Seconds later, the song “Time Is On My Side,” perhaps made most popular by the Rolling Stones, floated into my head, and, to my surprise, I drifted back to sleep.
Several hours later, I awoke laughing, both amused and bewildered that this was the song that had made its way into my head. I couldn’t even recall the last time I had heard it! Still, I wondered: Is there something to learn here? And of course, there was.
One way we fulfill our calling as Christ’s disciples is by using our time wisely – honoring God not only in what we do, but in how we do it. At the same time, Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. [God] has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLV)
In other words, yes, it is important for us to be intentional with the time God has so generously given us (a focus we’ll explore further in week two of our Summer Series from June 29 through July 20, 2025 —more details coming soon!). But, it’s also important to remember: we’re not in control of every minute. Some things, perhaps many, are in God’s hands, not ours.
As we step into this season of resurrection, a time of renewal and rebirth, consider setting aside a few quiet moments to reflect on how you’re using the gift of time. You might do this through prayer, silent meditation, journaling, or perhaps the 24-hour activity snapshot handout we provided in the wellbeing section of our newsletter.
As you do, hold this reminder close: through God, “Time is on your side, yes it is.”
