There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 MSG
Timing – oh how crucial it can be. Especially in relationships. How do we know when the ‘right’ time is? How do we determine what we do or say or when we do or say it? Do we go off our ‘physical senses’, or emotions (feelings), or history, or traditions? Do we react in the moment? Do we automatically think we know what is best for us or the other person? Or are we paralyzed because of our uncertainty and fear of prior reactions they have had when we approached them, and then we do nothing?
The mathematician attempts to factor in all the possible avenues and reactions and gets stuck trying to determine which is the best path to take. The philosopher attempts to reason through all of the paths towards truth but can’t account for the soul’s reactions to any one situation. But the Spirit-filled individual listens to the Spirit’s advice and counsel and chooses the appropriate fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) needed for the time to interact with the other person.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
Who is our Guide? Who is our Counselor? Who is our Teacher? Do we always think we know best, or can we ask questions of the One who actually knows? The timing and quality of the fruit (word or deed) is definitely impactful. Who’s fruit are you giving?
The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Proverbs 25:11-12 MSG
The One who fashioned the universe and time – knows the ‘right’ time. How much are we listening to Him? Not through sermons, or podcasts, or movies, or songs, but from the depths of our inner being where His ‘still small Voice’ speaks to us.
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a Voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
A delicate whispering Voice.
Are we too busy to hear that kind of Voice? Do we dismiss it more than we listen to it? How attentive are we to the indwelling Presence and voice of the Holy Spirit? Because we have missed or dismissed His voice – how many times has our timing been off?