Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

We tend to get all tied in knots about times and schedules, and Jesus is saying we aren’t to sweat it, even about the event that will be the climax of all history. We have such a tendency to want to be in charge, in control, or even to think that we actually are, and that causes untold stress. That doesn’t mean we aren’t to plan and set up schedules, but it does mean we are to leave control in God’s hands, emotionally as well as mentally and practically. That’s much easier to say than to do! Intellectually, we understand that God is outside of time and so sees the end from the beginning, and that He is love and so desires the very best for us, but emotionally we tend to get impatient about some things and dread others, wanting things to run on our schedule. If anything, the modern age has greatly intensified that, with many technological things being timed to the millisecond. An extreme example is that one reason for the surge in caesarean births in the US is that surgery can be scheduled, whereas natural birth cannot! As a whole, we have moved toward becoming “control freaks.” That really benefits no one!

I am squarely in the middle of this, with yet another delay in the title transfer for this building. I maintained my composure fairly well while we were still at the Legal Affairs Bureau yesterday, but by the time we left I was boiling! That wasn’t good for me or for the people around me. I have grown in my patience about some things, but that was a clear illustration of the reality that I still have a great deal of room for growth! It has also recently been pointed out to me that I’m not a good listener, tending to jump in with response, advice, or whatever before the person speaking has finished. That’s part of the same problem. I need to release my time into God’s hands, emotionally as well as intellectually, with gratefulness and praise.

Father, thank You for the training experience yesterday, though it wasn’t pleasant at the time. Thank You for not leaving me as I am, but continuing to work on me, transforming me eventually into the likeness of Christ Jesus my Lord. As I receive Your grace in such abundance, help me extend that same grace toward those around me, seeking their best from Your perspective, rather than trying to prescribe what seems good to me. Thank You for the time of fellowship and prayer that I will be having today. Help me really listen to those I will be with, not jumping in with my two cents but hearing their hearts, so that together we may hear Your heart and allow You to direct us, individually and as a church, on Your schedule – not ours – for this coming year, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!