Friday, September 19, 2008
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Fifty-Seven Minutes or So
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day" (2 Peter 3:8).
I can remember a game that we used to play as children. We would try and figure out how old we were in dog years. We were told that one year of a dog's life is equal to seven of our human years. So, if I was actually 10 years old, in dog years, that would be seventy! It was really fun to try and figure out how old our teachers were!
I can't remember where I heard it or from whom. I only know that it was part of a sermon somewhere. The preacher was talking about this verse in 2 Peter 3:8 and comparing our years to the Lord's years. He said that if one day equals a thousand years and vice versa, we only have 57 minutes on earth!
I'm not sure about his math, though. I did some of my own. Average life expectancy in North America is 78 years. That is 7.8% of 1000 years and since each day is 1440 minutes long, we seem to have just over 112 minutes. If we go with the lower number that includes more of the world, we have 68 years and just shy of 98 minutes. If I take an average of the two and take off the time that most of us sleep, we have maybe about 71 minutes.
In the end, it doesn't matter whether we come up with a generous 112 minutes or only 57 minutes. The important thing is to look and see that we don't have all that much time really. And, it is probably not so much about how much time we have but what we do with the time that we have been given! (See "The Dash" in Faith Encouragement). Paul said, "What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. . . . For this world in its present form is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:29, 31). Elsewhere he said,
"And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12).
If you want to put it in real perspective, consider that Jesus only had 47.5 minutes and accomplished his whole ministry in just over four minutes! We don't have much time, but together with God, we don't need much! God remember is the God "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us" (Ephesians 3:20). With God in the picture, one day is as a thousand years! With God, my 78 or so years can equal 28,490,000 years!
There are several things to draw out of all of this. Time is short. What are we doing with the time that we have been given? Thank God that he can take our little and make it much if we let him. There seems to be an equal and opposite message. God is not in a hurry. We get frustrated when the answer to a particular prayer takes days, or months, or years. From God's perspective, it may have only been seconds between the prayer and it's answer! Then consider that if you and I only had between 112 and 57 minutes to begin with, how much time is left? Don't despair, Jesus changed the world in just over 4 minutes! It is time to get busy and time to relax. It is time to do as much as we can with what we have and leave the rest to God. He has an eternity of time!
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
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