Proverbs 27.1
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
The message in this verse is that a right perspective of time is essential. No matter what job you have, no matter your personal or professional situation, a successful and significant life requires the wise use of time. The admonition to invest time wisely is taught throughout scripture.
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4.13-15)
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5.15-16)
“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118.24
The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. Where chronos is quantitative, kairos is qualitative. Chronos refers to clock time – time that can be measured – seconds, minutes, hours, years. It still appears in words like chronological and anachronism. Wise people pay attention to chronos; they plan and manage their action within the time available. They know how much time there is.
Kairos is different. It measures moments, not seconds. Often it used to refer to the right moment, the opportune moment. A defining moment. Kairos is time judged not by its duration, but by its value. Kairos also refers to a period of time that is significant, and therefore is sometimes translated “season.”
Kairos is a window of time that demands an intentional, purposeful response. It is a time in which life-shaping decisions are made. It is a defining moment. Wise people recognize and respond to kairos moments. They know what kind of time it is.
Kairos is the word for time that is used Ephesians 5.15-16, and it is the principle that is implied in James 4 and Psalm 118. The Lord is telling us to be aware of how much chronos time we have every day, but to pay special attention to kairos moments and seasons. And scripture makes it clear that to recognize and respond to kairos moments situations in life, we must be look carefully, be wise, and know and understand the will of God.
Ephesians 5 reminds us that there are kairos moments during the day. There are situations that require you to slow down and respond. Look carefully for those moments and listen for God’s voice of wisdom.
There are also kairos seasons in your life. There are times in your life which require you to adjust your normal routine and pay special attention. Look carefully for those seasons and listen for God’s voice of wisdom.
Clock/calendar time — chronos — moves on inexorably. And it moves fast. But let’s not get so caught up in the pace and pressure and demands of clock/calendar time that we miss the kairos moments.
Psalm 118 reminds us that every day is a kairos day. Every day is a gift from God, and we should not take it for granted. Every day we should rejoice at having another opportunity to serve God and others.
James 4 reminds us that the days of our life are numbered, and it’s the same message in Proverbs 27.1. We do not have an unlimited amount of chronos time in this life to serve God. Every day is special. Every day has kairos time. Therefore, the Lord admonishes us to make the most of the time we have available to us, and to do so with humility, wisdom, gratitude, and courage.
