What time is it?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which 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 morn, a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; A time to rend, 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."

Most of the problems that I have had in my life have come as a result of doing things out of their time. As a young man I had a very difficult time waiting for anything. Isn't it strange that when you are young and have your whole life ahead of you, everything is an emergency, and as you get older you realize that Solomon is true that to everything there is a season. Learning what season or time it is, is key to saving yourself from compounded troubles. Someone who violates the times reaps conflict in their life.

Learning to discern the times and apply the proper response is wisdom. How do we learn to do that? there are two things that teach us this. For the Believer, the first should be that we have asked God to teach us this wisdom. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." It is so important for us to understand that God is the beginning and source of all wisdom. Before we seek wisdom from any source we should go to Him. He has the true wisdom, what seems to be wisdom in this world is often in contradiction to the Word of God, it is important that we discern what wisdom comes from God as it is true.

the second way that we gain the wisdom to discern the times is by the trials that we face. The biggest issue many times is that we don't have the patience to wait for the proper times and we force the issue. James says again in verse 3-4, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Our view of trials must change if we are to learn what we need to by them. Trials are for our good, and they are for our education, that we can learn now to respond, and how to discern the proper actions for all situations. Wisdom comes from the experience of trials. Someone said, wisdom helps you overcome trials, but it only comes by going through them.

what time is it in your life? Are you allowing God to guide you through it with wisdom, or are you fighting against the times by refusing to yield to Gods working in your life?

contentment is the secret

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, "There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."

This is a very interesting passage that takes a few turns but ends up at a superb truth. Let's address it in a systematic manner. God measures to each man how much he will be endued with of wisdom, knowledge, and joy. All men are created by God with different gifts, despite the cry of our day that all things must be fair, God does not give equally to all men in life. Yet, it is not for us to question God's decisions and working, but rather to accept the abilities that God has bestowed upon us and use them in the fullest way possible.

that truth being established, the key to life is learning what God has given you and being content with the way that He has made you. Thus contentment, not ability is the key to satisfaction in life. Many who have great abilities also have miserable lives, because they are never content with the things that they have. this is the reference that Solomon makes in the last verse, equating these people as sinners who all their life go around trying to gather more and more by their abilities and yet it all is vanity. Rather the godly man uses what God has given him to the fullest of his abilities, and accepts contentment after he has done what he can. Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."

So eat the bread and drink the cup and enjoy what God has given you in life, it is far better than to fret about what you don't have.