By Jean-Luc Lezeau, Associate Director, General Conference Stewardship
Summary: Have you ever wondered why God took seven days for His creation? It is a long time, if you consider that He just had to speak and it was done—in one single stroke man’s environment would have been complete.
Today in history we have seven times more leisure than our ancestors. Despite the fact that since 1850 the workday has been shortened by one third, a recent poll states that 46 percent of Westerners feel they don’t have enough free time. For modern man, time is a rare commodity. He has more time than ever before, yet the pace of life is moving faster and he is becoming more impatient. Breakthroughs in technology have given us jets, cell phones, computers and the Internet. As a result we spend a fraction of the time we previously did for communication and travel, yet we find it unbearable when it takes 24 hours to receive an e-mail response! We live in a world with zero time delay. Not long ago we said Time is money. Now we say Time is gold. Why?
Numerous businesses catering to speed and same day service are making millions! World records in sporting events are set by thousandths of a second. Today, positive recognition is given to the hyperactive. Some people have capitalized on this with money-making schemes. An institute in New York offers a plan to create more time and enjoy life. In Berlin one school teaches people how to live in slow motion.
It has been a long time since God created each element of nature, looked at it carefully and waited until the next day to continue His work (Gn 1; 2:1-3). Have you ever wondered why God took seven days for His creation? It is a long time, if you consider that He just had to speak and it was done—in one single stroke man’s environment would have been complete. God gave us the weekly cycle for our well-being. The seven-day week was part of the creation process and was to remain eternal.
If we believe Adam and Eve were asked by their Creator to manage His property, we need to remember that one aspect of this property is TIME. How do we as the people of His promise use the little time that is left to us? We greet each other with Maranatha. Are we really longing for His return? Do we live joyfully in the time we have, waiting for a better life with Christ? With Jesus as our example, do we see how He modeled a devotional life for us to follow?
As Christ’s disciples how should we use our time? Firstly, by serving our Lord and our neighbor (Ac 1:8). Next, we should use our time to glorify God: For it is time to seek the Lord . . . (Ho 10:12). Lastly, we need God’s guidance in our use of time. Nothing is more precious than time, since it is the ransom for Eternity—Bourdaloue, On Wasting One’s Time.