“Witness Mr. Henry Bemis, a charter member in the fraternity of dreamers. A bookish little man whose passion is the printed page, but who is conspired against by a bank president and a wife and a world full of tongue-cluckers and the unrelenting hands of a clock. But in just a moment, Mr. Bemis will enter a world without bank presidents or wives or clocks or anything else. He’ll have a world all to himself…without anyone.”
So Rod Serling narrated the opening of “Time Enough at Last,” a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone. It remains popular to this day.
Why the enduring acclaim? Could Bemis’ struggle serve as one reason? He loved to read; he appreciated ideas and wanted to give them the time he believed they deserved.
Yet life kept getting in the way. Work, family, you name it–they interfered with what Henry prioritized.
Have you experienced similar distress?
This month at my church I’ve been teaching a series entitled, What Time Is It? I chose this topic because the subject of time management grips me. Like Henry Bemis, I, too, find demands, obligations, and wishes in conflict. The promises made by specialists, apps, and devices offer the hope of a well-managed life. I could use the help!
But no matter what suggestions I read or which technological innovations I adopt, I still feel rushed. Hurry and hassle are my closest companions. And though I hustle to catch up and strain to meet deadlines, I make no lasting headway.
Discontent brooded in the background of my mind as I worked on the sermons.
And then I found something.
According to Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
Time for what? Anything, everything. You have the opportunity because each activity holds its own moment. God gives events their own terms. Everything has its place.
This verse reminds me of a calendar entry, something you schedule. Does the Bible claim that God provides our responsibilities and interests all the time they need?
Yes, I believe so.
Your challenge, and mine, is to trust Jesus with our time. Throughout this week, whenever I felt the pressure of too many tasks and not enough minutes, I remembered Ecclesiastes 3:1. I calmed my soul and dared to believe the Word of the Lord.
When we follow Christ, we learn to live this way. We discover that we have enough time after all. Not to waste our resources, but to realize our potential.
So take up this verse and review your planner or calendar. And should you start to feel bogged down, recall God’s promise: there’s enough time for you!
