Woman to Woman: Do You Have the Time?

Too many times we answer, “Yes” when asked, “do you have the time…”, when in fact we feel like our allotted 1,440 minutes for the day expired long ago.

While at the same time, we all know of those 1,440 minutes, too many are wasted on foolish pursuits.

I came across a favorite quote of mine the other day while looking for inspirational words to include in my goal journal. Let me share it with you:

"Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life."

I love the thought contained in this quote: no two moments are the same, and once they pass, we can never “touch” them again. Yet we often treat time so carelessly.

We either procrastinate assuming we have more than enough time or complain we lack

"the time" to do a needed or desired task.

While not necessarily a goal, an ambition I work on continually is "redeeming my time", that is, making the best use of the time I have.

A productivity junkie feeding my inner accomplishment driven self to "get more done" by not wasting time on trivial matters, I constantly ask myself if whatever I'm doing or about to do is the best way of spending my time allotment. However, this week I realized time is more than something you “spend.”

As I thought about "time" and the concept of spending or using my time "wisely", Ephesians 5:16 came to my mind.

"Redeeming the time, for the days are evil" is how the KJV Bible renders it.

However, in the NIV, it says, "Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil", which puts a slightly different spin on what to do with your "time".

There are two Greek words for time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is clock time, sequential, measured in seconds, minutes, hours; or past, present, and future.

The definition we most often think of when speaking about "time". This is the time we manage, allot, or waste.

But Kairos is the word used in Ephesians 5:16, containing a fuller meaning, that of "taking full advantage of an opportunity".

Think of Chronos as all about getting things done, making good time, being efficient or "on time". Conversely, Kairos seizes the moment and extracts everything from it. Less about getting to a particular destination or completion and more about the journey.

I would even go so far as to say Kairos speaks to who you become while taking full advantage of each opportunity. Comparing the two perspectives on time, Mark Batterson, in his book, "Win the Day" says, "Time is measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments."

God's intention in Ephesians 5:16 is that we fully grasp the moments of life, not simply "spend time". Even if like me, you obsess over making the best use of your time, you may still miss some of the greatest moments of your life.

The truth is, none of us knows how much "time" we really have, yet we spend it so carelessly. I encourage you this week, truly "Kairos" your days, enjoy the journey through each days' moments, because once they flow past, you'll never touch them again.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

J.R.R. Tolkien

Reflection:

How do you view time management?

How can you truly “Kairos” your time this week?