“The Flavor of Time”

 One of the most famous songs from the musical Rent asks “how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee? In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? In 525,600 minutes- how do measure a year in the life? How about love? Measure in love.” 

I don’t mean if you actually think about why a second is the length that it is, or if you use a wristwatch or your cell phone or a timer to measure time. What I mean is; what are the important events that you use to mark your “Faith” time? The Bible is clear that faith is measured in terms of both quantity and quality. So, what does that mean?

Before going into my whisper of words noting what the Bible says about faith and how to measure it, I ask you the question, “Is Faith a critical element for being a Christian”? Do we measure time in relation to Christ? Yes, in the fullness of time, God came to earth. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas.

 Hebrews 11:1 says it best: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We understand this to mean that faith is an action which treats things that have not yet happened, and things which are not empirically evident, as truth. There is no practical distinction between the object of faith and reality to the believer. Faith is the ability to believe indeed.

Well how do you measure a year? With a whispered “peace be still. How do you measure a lifetime of purpose? Doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on the earth, “Christ-like,” and Christ-following. Doing every day, the day, the hard way? 

Sometimes, do you look at time and begin to tire, this isn’t living its existence. This strange fruit, I measure daily with pain on the leaves. Then the sudden smell of flesh is the fruit for the birds to pluck. As for the leaves, they drop so strange because it is the harvest of time. The future looking for someone to take it forward with that church piano playing, “why don’t you call me anymore”. Such an echo of music a sound song of beauty of what is beautiful in God’s eyes. Finally recognizing the qualities God has cherished in the lives of his people; which is one way to determine His concept of beauty, “It was not their physique or stateliness but their faith and service that made them beautiful”. 

Why did Jesus come? While remaining God, Jesus took upon a new nature - a human nature, uniting the divine and the human into one being, one person. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human.It was the truth of Christmas, the favor of time, “love”. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8.

The applications for us today is first for those of us who are waiting. You may be single and waiting for marriage. You may be waiting and hoping for children. You may be stuck in a job you can’t wait to get out of. You may have a tough time with your health, and you’re just waiting for things to get better. I know as a believer, I’m always impatient for things to happen faster with the house of worship as well as my loyalty of action; as far as prayer, reading studying the word and dealing with affliction. 

For those of us who are waiting, sometimes impatiently, here’s the first application: God is the God of perfect timing. “When the right time came…” God is always the God of perfect timing.

Here’s the second application. The whole reason for Christmas is this: God wants you to be his child. God wants that kind of relationship with you. He wants you to experience the intimacy, the privileges, that come from being his child. “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you” 

By growing in the amount of faith one has and by allowing Christ’s faith to work mightily in him or her, the ability for a Christian to obtain the object of faith, whether it is healing, understanding, or righteousness, becomes even more sure. But you see that’s a challenge at this time of year, in this breakneck time between Christmas and New Year’s, when time seems to be confusing. What day is it? What stores are open? What is for dinner? Who else is popping in? With our familiar schedules mixed up, it’ hard to know just what time it is to take our “Medicine”.

God has given to each a “measure of faith” to use for Him. This “faith” is the gift from which all the other gifts flow. Faith is the first gift we receive (for justification), and faith is the gift that brings the other gifts of the Spirit into our lives. When a person is born again, God gives him gifts as a new member of the family of God. We receive the gifts according to the measure that God has given us, and we exercise the gifts according to the same measure of faith.

“To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). God deals to everyone his portion. Not everyone receives all the gifts, nor is the same gift given to everyone in the same measure. Our sovereign God distributes each gracious gift according to the measure of faith that He has bestowed on us.

As we finish our Christmas celebrations, as we continue to be in this period of uncertain time, we remember that God is the Lord of all time. How will you measure time? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee? However, you do, rejoice in the God who came to save us in the fullness of time, to make us his children and heirs of his promises. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). This verse gives clear direction and flavor of time which offers genuine hope to the believer in Christ.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.Philippians 4:6

God Bless You and This Ministry!