Respect God’s Time

by Marcelo Brandão·October 17, 2019·5 min read

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Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…”

If there’s anything I feel God saying to my heart, it’s always about respecting His time in my life. I’ve always been a restless and restless person, so I don’t like it when things take a long time to happen.

Anyway, when I converted, I found that things didn’t work my way. Being a servant of God, I have no right to my wills. Especially remembering that He is eternal and that He certainly understands much more than I do about life and the times needed for things to be fulfilled.

Don’t be anxious

The biggest problem is in fear. Almost all our problems or limitations as human beings are based on fear, in fact. Not knowing what will happen in the future creates stress and worry and, consequently, anxiety. Everyone wants to have a life full of peace and joy and we hope that will happen immediately. Therefore, we try to have control over every situation of our daily lives. We believe we know the best ways and the best times to enjoy this fullness. When we are fully in God, we are not afraid. In His love there is no fear of what will happen because we trust in His faithfulness to us.

I believe the first thing to do is to recognize our limitations as human beings in understanding something about life. The most correct way, in my view, is to trust and ask things to the creator. God is sovereign over all things and the text of Ecclesiastes makes this very clear. The problem is that by the natural weakness of our flesh we always think we are able to do something by our strength. We do not recognize the beauty of God’s works and time, and His power to do everything as He pleases. Since we are all under one purpose, which is to glorify Him and enjoy His peace and joy for eternity.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end”.

Give your ways to God

Proverbs 16:1 “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. (2) All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. (3) Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established”.

The second thing to do is to give all your trust and your ways to the Lord. He recognizes that in our hearts we make plans and will. But surely not all the plans we make are, in fact, as good as we think. Knowing that God’s will is good, perfect, and pleasant. Handing over our plans to God and letting Him guide our steps allows our hearts to align with His purpose, and of course the planner will be the Holy Spirit within us. Preventing us from making plans that, however pure they may seem in our eyes, will end our fall and the satiety of purely carnal wills.

There is a well-known phrase by writer C. S. Lewis that illustrates well what I have in mind at this moment: “If God had granted all the foolish prayers I have said in my life, where would I be now?”

Live one day at a time

Ecclesiastes 3:12 “I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. (13) And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. (14) I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

Finally, as the text itself says. There is nothing better for humans than to enjoy the life God gives us, our family, friends and also the fruits of our work.
We leave the fear of the future behind because we trust in a God who is eternal. That is the beginning and the end. And that for Him there is no future, after all, He knows all things.
We trust in His power and love and give Him our plans and wills to Him. The result is a life of peace, where we charge less and know that we are kept and guided in paths of justice. We have learned to respect time for all things. In the moment of pain, we understand that we are being edified, in the moment of joy, that we are being contemplated for your kindness.

Stick around!

For a more personal contact, I’m on Instagram (@zmbrandao). Also follow @BibliaJFA!