It Is A Good Thing That The Time Is Short

How much time do we have? Not much...

"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short..." - 1 Corinthians 7:29 ESV

What does this mean? Is it talking about end times prophecy or about attitude? I believe that it speaks about both. Just a few verses later it says this.

"I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband." - 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 ESV

This statement is in the context of getting married but the two ideas are linked. If we know the time is short we will be free from anxieties. You might think it is the opposite but we worry because we wonder if we will regret later what we are doing now. That is the root of anxiety. We don't want to get stuck for a long time with something.

So...

How much time do we have this Christmas? Not much...

The Gospel says salvation is 'of the Lord' and Jesus has already come once to accomplish it. It is finished. In just a little time He is coming back.

We can live in grace and liberty knowing we don't have much time. We can marry or not marry (see 1 Corinthians 7:36 and the verses following). We are free in Christ from the bondage of pleasing people. In hindsight we will marvel that we lived in anxiety about things that passed in the blink of an eye.

When there is not much time each moment is precious. When there is not much time we are more likely to act on what is important. We tell people we love them when we know there isn't much time.

This Christmas may not be all we hoped for or it may be everything we ever wanted... either way it might be our last on Earth. Let's make every moment count because the time is short.

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise." - Proverbs 11:30 NKJV

Yes. We need to know the time is short in order to focus our strength in wise ways.

--