Time

“Behold, I am coming soon. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

Revelation 22:7, 11

Did you know there’s a list of the things that run out at the end of the book of Revelation? For the believer this list includes tears, death, crying, mourning, pain, the temple, the sun, the moon, night, and best of all, sin. The phrase “no” or “no more” is repeated close to eight times in Revelation 21. I think it’s interesting that when we finally get to the picture of the new heaven and the new earth, God could have continued to describe all the things that are there, but instead He chose to give us a picture of what won’t be there. 

Did you know the average adult only lives around 4,000 weeks? Not 40,000. Not 400,000. Only 4,000 weeks. Time is not sitting at a restaurant receiving refillable drinks at your leisure. It’s more like sitting at the doctor’s office, reading the results, and being forced with the reality that time is running out. 

Did you know time is one of the things that won’t be there at the end of the book of Revelation?

And I’m not really talking about time in heaven, though that’s very true. I’m talking about time to change, time to use differently, time to believe, time to repent. All throughout the book of Revelation, even in the bowls of wrath and seals and judgments, God has continued to give people time to repent. And when you finally arrive in the last chapter (Revelation 22), you notice that time, like pain or death or the moon or the sun, is no more. 

“Behold, I am coming soon. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

There are no more calls to repentance in God’s Word in the last few verses, because God’s gracious gift of time has finally run out. 

This reality is not meant to stifle or cripple. It’s not designed for us to throw up our hands and live lives of luxury and indulgence because “what’s the point?”

It is meant to cause us to think deeply about what we’ve been given and what we are choosing.

It’s meant for us to begin asking, “Who are the real life, in person people God has placed in front of me to love today?”

As Randy Alcorn says, “We live now, the way that we will one day wish we would have. We don’t postpone obedience, holiness, purity, drawing close to God, and serving others.”

We wake up each day and pray with John Piper, “Lord, let me come to the end of this day and be able to look back and say- somebody has more confidence in your promises today because I crossed their path. Somebody is more happy in your grace because I crossed their path.” And we pray and long to become more of that kind of person.

We learn to practice hospitality and friendships this season, “not just with our tables and living rooms but with our time and attention.” (Why Don’t We Have Good Friends)

And finally, we train ourselves to ask,“Is my time spent here a good investment in the kingdom of God? Is this investing in the things that I really want to be walking towards?” (What Was I Supposed To Be Doing Right Now?)

This year, may you remember time is not a gift you get to purchase with an extended warranty. May you use your tables, living rooms, time, and attention for the glory of God and furthering of His kingdom by loving those God has placed nearest to you. 

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Recommendations

Some books that have been very influential in my life when it comes to evaluating time include:

Faithfully Present by Adam Ramsey

Redeeming Productivity by Reagan Rose

Living Life Backwards by David Gibson

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