“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.’“
Acts 1:6-7
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AUGUST 21, 2024
Why are we humans so concerned with our timing? I have had to learn a lot as a parent in this regard. My kids are older now, but I would often ask them to do household chores and expect them to comply right when I asked. This created frustration when things didn’t go according to my plan. My wife helped me see that the goal wasn’t timing, but the completion of the chore. My problem was in believing that my timing was the right timing.
My trouble grows when I apply the same thinking to God. We all struggle with this at various times. We think our timing is better than God’s timing. How has that gone for you?
When we think our timing is better than God’s, we get the purpose of our lives wrong. In verse 6, the apostles wanted Jesus to restore the kingdom to Israel. The problem is that their timing was focused on immediate political issues rather than Kingdom of Heaven issues.
Have you noticed that humanity is still focused on this?
From these two verses, we learn that Jesus’ priority is the kingdom’s mission. Jesus wants His friends to see that the timing shouldn’t be their focus; the politics isn’t their problem, but the gift of the Spirit and what they are to do in spreading the gospel.
God’s sovereignty in unfolding His redemptive plan is the priority. The Church’s mission is not defined by human agendas and timing but by Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations, relying on the Spirit’s power. May we focus on the Spirit’s empowerment, the church’s mission, and the gospel reaching lives, not the timing we often cling to.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What does our desire for everything to go according to our timing say about our understanding of God’s mission and will?
- What part of today’s political system is causing you to be distracted from seeing God’s will?
Church Reading Plan: Jeremiah 50; Psalm 28-29