Wednesday night, Pastor Scooter talked about time. Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He lives in a constant state of "now". There are two Greek words used for "now" in the New Testament.
Chronos indicates a sequence of moments and is a linear expression of quantitative time.
Kairos, on the other hand, is an expression of qualitative time. It indicates a moment of opportunity, the "right time". Blue Letter Bible defines it like this: "the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for."
Kairos moments don't always look like we expect. I had a kairos moment when my marriage ended. It wasn't a time I wanted, but it was a crisis of opportunity that allowed me to let God heal and change me. I'm better for it.
A young friend of mine is going through a very rigorous course of training. It's a kairos moment for him. He's learning that he has the stamina to endure the most painful hardships in order to complete what God has called him to do. He's persevering, despite experiencing a significant injury at the beginning of his training. He's allowed God to use the kairos moment in ways that make my heart soar with joy.
The daughter of a friend is going through a heartbreaking experience. It's a kairos moment for her. Some days, all she can do is cry, but, on the other side of her pain, she'll be stronger and more like Jesus than she was at the start.
I have several friends going through the death of dearly loved family members. They, too, are experiencing kairos moments. On the other side of grief, they'll understand the hope of eternity and the comfort of God in a deeper way.
How? Because all these people are praying that their pain and suffering not be wasted. They're praying they will learn all God has for them in the midst of their trial. That's a prayer that's sure to be answered in a way that leaves them stronger and more like Jesus.
Those kairos moments are easy to recognize, but what about the kind of kairos moment that's less noticeable?
If God is in the now, and He is, He fills our days with kairos moments, opportunities to share Christ and His love, that we can easily miss. The problem with missing kairos moments is that they may never come again.
I had a kairos moment this week. I saw a young man for whom I'd been praying, and had a moment to sit down and talk with him. I could have easily stepped away, but I stayed. I listened. I responded. When the time came, I shared Christ. It was one of those sweet and completely unlikely moments when I was able to talk about my faith in a very non-traditional way. I don't know how God will use it, but I'm sure He will.
Today, God will send a variety of kairos moments our way. Let's keep our eyes open and seize those opportunities when they come. We may not know how God uses them, but we can be sure He will.
..."Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation." 2 Peter 6:3 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Escrow Account
Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List
Here's the link to my Global Outreach page: Leanna Hollis MD
Joseph had one misadventure after another. Just when he'd climbed out of one precarious situation, another came his way. It began to look as if he'd never find a place of peace and security.
You probably remember Joseph. He was the favorite son of his father, Israel. Joseph was always a dreamer of dreams. In his dreams, he had authority and power. Others bowed down to him. It was exciting stuff, and Joseph expected to have the future he dreamed about.
When he was still a boy, he made the mistake of telling his brothers about his dreams. They didn't find them quite as exciting as Joseph did. I might be wrong about this, but I've always thought the brothers believed Joseph's dreams would come true, and it made them jealous and angry.
Their father favored Joseph over his brothers and, it appeared, God did, too.
Their anger birthed a decision born of opportunity. You know the story. The brothers threw Joseph in a pit, then sold him to traveling traders (who, by the way, were selling the Balm of Gilead). In no time, Joseph was a slave in Potiphar's house.
He was Potiphar's property.
Being sold as a slave is a tragedy, but in the midst of tragedy, Joseph's character was revealed.
That's what trials and tribulations do... They strip away our pretense and reveal what's inside. James 1:2 says we should "count it all joy" when we encounter trials. The root word for trials means "piercings". I believe the trials we encounter are designed to serve as "piercings" that reveal what's on the inside.
The piercings of trials remove our facade and reveal the core of who we are.
The amazing part of this story is that what appeared to be an opportunity for the brothers to rid themselves of their trial (the irritating little brother) became an opportunity for Joseph to reveal his character.
The brothers wasted their trial. Joseph seized his.
He faced his trial with the same steadfast work ethic he'd demonstrated when tracking down his brothers for his father.
Joseph responded to tragedy the way we all should. He was faithful to do the right thing, regardless of his circumstances. He didn't waste time being angry or bitter. He didn't whine or complain.
Joseph did the job set before him with all his might, despite the circumstances, and we should, too.
There's no avoiding the trials of life, but they don't have to be wasted. Both Joseph and his brothers faced trials and revealed their true character, and we will, too.
When trials come, and they will, let's do what Joseph did. Let's use them to become the men and women God intended us to be.
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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links: The Blessing Jar, The Potential for Heritage, Does God Know When I Will Die? Part 1, Does God Know When I Will Die? Part 2, How to Live Longer, Is Longer Life Worth the Cost of Obedience?, and The Changing of Our Culture: Physician Assisted Suicide.
#trials #opportunity #sufferingisneverwasted #characterrevealed #disciple #Christian
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