In chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiastes, we can find a very striking phrase and known by many people, but ignored by the majority: “Everything has its time”.
Many times we try to speed up the pace of things, and we execute actions at the wrong time, seeing ourselves later affected by negative consequences caused by the misuse of time.
God is a wise being “The wisest of all time” “the only one who knows the past, the present and the future”. If He wanted to express this phrase to us through the scriptures, it is because he knows what is going to happen if we alter the cycle of life, and of each of the eventualities that make it up.
There are two fundamental things that you must understand in order to be successful, the first is that God’s timing is perfect, and the second is that all things have their time.
To help you in this, we will teach you how to go with the flow without altering the realities, and understand that each good or bad moment is a gift for your growth.
Everything has its time
“Everything has its time, for every matter under heaven there is a precise period”:
- To be born and to die.
- To plant and uproot what is planted.
- To kill and time to heal.
- To cry and time to laugh.
- To throw stones and to collect them.
- There are times to embrace and to refrain from doing so.
- To seek and to lose.
- To tear and to sew.
- To shut up and speak.
- To love and to hate.
- For war and for peace.
This sacred list of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 It represents all the seasons and important changes in our lives. Some are happy times, others sad; some are productive while others seem wasteful; some inspire peace and others bring pain.
All of them are necessary for us to learn, grow and evolve as spiritual beings. Its appearance is not accidental. If we look closely enough, each experience reveals a loving, divine nature that we can learn to trust.
every moment is a gift
Every major transition in our lives requires our undivided time and attention for a successful passage. Each also presents a gift if we are open to receive it.
Some of these gifts are easy to identify: the spring moments of new beginnings; the summer moments of an easy and carefree life; and the autumn moments of abundant harvest.
Other gifts are not so easy to identify, such as the transitional storms that often usher in a new season, the oppressive heat of summer, or the bitter cold of winter. These others require us to look beyond appearances and look much deeper into their meaning.
Importance of understanding that everything has its time
Although new beginnings are generally preferred over endings, we must remember that everything has its time, and that every new beginning requires an ending, sometimes even sad and heartbreaking death.
Similarly, harvesting a harvest may be preferable to the work of preparing, planting, and tending a crop or garden, but we cannot enjoy one without the other.
Even the transitional storms of our lives are necessary to clear the atmosphere of old ways of thinking that prevent us from fully experiencing the next seasons of our lives.
The oppressive heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter make us withdraw within ourselves to rest, renew and be creative.
How to go with the flow?
We must learn to accept the flow of change that characterizes the life of every human being. There is no way to stop it anyway. Sometimes the challenges we face seem dark, but every tunnel has a light at the end.
As we grope in the dark, we can focus on the dim light we see in the distance. This light represents the gift, whatever it is that we must learn, heal or change. The darkness will pass as we move towards the light, as we gratefully receive the light at the end of the tunnel.
Nothing in life is static for long. Often the process of life is “grow up and go.” As soon as we grow to the next higher level in our evolutionary consciousness, it’s time to go to the next level. And we keep growing and moving forward, unless we resist.
When crisis hits, resistance is the normal first response. It is self-protective, but in the long run it becomes self-destructive. With every crisis comes a choice: resist or accept, respond in fear or faith, say yes or no.
If we remember that there is a gift in every crisis or challenge, in every life transition, we can more easily go with the flow. As we discover that everything has its time, and that there is a gift in every season, we learn to trust that loving and divine purpose behind it.
So the stream of life can take us on new adventures, more rewarding and exciting than any we have chosen in a resilient state of mind.
Appropriate or inappropriate use of time
What profit does the worker have from his work if he toils? More than a premise in the chapter, this seems to be the question that Solomon is trying to answer (or at least one of them). What do we gain?
“I realized that everything God does lasts forever; nothing can be added to him, nor can anything be taken away from him. God has made it, so that people fear before Him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
In contrast to the cyclical nature of time that Solomon obsesses over, he here acknowledges the constancy of God and his works. This goes along with the contrast with the vision of time expressed in chapter 1, and expresses a subtle change in Solomon’s analysis. Perhaps God’s constancy has practical applications for us.
“Furthermore, I saw under the sun that instead of justice there was wickedness, and instead of judgment there was impiety.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16)
Just when it seemed like we had a chapter that was going to be positive from start to finish, Solomon gets down again. But this goes to the bigger end point. Part of what generates evil and injustice is misuse of timea precious resource misappropriated for the benefit of the powerful instead of the benefit of the majority.
The fact of understanding that everything has its time is very important. It is not just a cycle of booms and busts that repeats itself indefinitely in eternity. While future generations may not remember what happened before them, God does.
What is it that brings earnings from work? What is it that defines if there is evil instead of justice and righteousness? It is the proper (or inappropriate) use of time.
The task of doing things when appropriate is not just a matter of habit, but is the basis of consequences. The proper order of time is not only safe protection, but also leads to true happiness and satisfaction.
God’s time is perfect
Even painful things are established by God. everything has its purpose, even cold winter storms that bring rain. You must wait patiently for the full revelation of God’s mysterious providence.
All you can see is the center of God’s work, not its end. He knows the beginning from the end and he has you where he wants you.
But also, reserve a place in your heart, where he is waiting for you to trust his power to meet all your needs because .
Understanding that everything has its time helps you overcome crises
- The fastest way to get through the void is to fully accept each experience, understand that it is all part of the cycle of life, and then let it go.
- Avoiding making important decisions or long-term commitments and far beyond your capabilities will help you avoid frustration in the future.
We all prefer our life changes to happen smoothly and naturally. But when we’re hit with the full force of a perfect storm, we can remember that these are intense opportunities for .
If we respond to each storm from the “eye” within, where peace and perfect wisdom dwell, we will emerge even stronger, wiser, and freer than before. We will be transformed.
Recommendations to lead a happy and pleasant life
- Don’t try to rush your process or force anything to happen. Remember everything has its time! Accept each day as it comes.
- and meditate for regular periods each day.
- Trust in God, it is important that you remember that all things can be achieved in Christ.
- Take care of yourself physically “Your body is the temple and dwelling place of , and as long as He lives in you, no one can harm you. Fulfill this, and wait for the time that God has for you.
- Register positive thoughts in your mind.
- Establish a relationship with God through the word, and learn to .
If you manage to understand that everything has its time, and you learn to let things flow, you will see that the consequences will be much better than perhaps you have had for wanting to alter the perfect cycle. It is important that you learn to wait, since by wanting to go faster, you are missing out on the gifts that are present in each of the seasons.