Kairos vs Chronos Time
Last week I wrote about stewarding our time and suggested tracking time spent daily, for the duration of a week. I wonder if you took the challenge and if so, what it revealed to you. This week I want to focus on comparing two variations of time: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to “clock time”- the measurement of the passage of time. Kairos is best translated as “opportunity.” Recently we celebrated the birth of Jesus; this is chronos time. It’s scheduled yearly on the calendar. Kairos time is found in Galatians 6:10: “So then, as we have opportunity (kairos), let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” As we steward our time, let us be conscious of both chronos and kairos. We cannot control how time passes (chronos), but we can seize the opportunities to do that which the Maker of time desires (kairos).
How do we seize those opportunities? One way is to not begrudge interruptions to our ‘scheduled time.’ With littles, there will be plenty of opportunity to receive and steward moments that are neither planned nor anticipated. Do you resent those moments? Looking back, I will confess to you that as a young mom I did. And then, the Lord began to show me the blessedness of those interruptions to ‘my time.’ I began to see that those middle-of-the-night moments of rocking a child who was sick or scared was one of the most spiritual and life-giving moments of my day. Being drawn near to the heart of my child as I drew near to my Father’s heart in the quietness of the night formed a nurturing moment in time. It was not scheduled, it was unexpected. I learned to choose to see it as a blessed interruption. Without knowing the word for it; it was a kairos moment in time.
Kairos opportunities are times that God allows or orchestrates. When was the last time that God brought about a specific opportunity to engage with your child or with a stranger at the grocery store? Do we rush past these moments due to the busyness of our scheduled time, or do we neglect seizing these moments because we are not tuned-in to the priorities of God’s heart? We may not lead a Bible study or have a fancy title away from home, but we all can bless the lady checking out our groceries with a kind word and a smile that communicates warmth and love for another person who is made in the image of God. See, I happen to think these moments please the heart of our heavenly Father as much as leading some big scheduled event or wearing an impressive title at work. Don’t get me wrong, those are important; I’m not minimizing how God calls us to those tasks, but I want to realign our thinking to the ‘smaller things.’ These are not less regarded essentials to doing kingdom work.
For example, are we so determined to be efficient with our time that we schedule our days without leaving room for margin - moments that can enrich our relationship with our children or with our spouse? Are we so bent on fixing healthy meals, but lack the priority of seizing opportunities to love, listen, affirm, discipline, read to, laugh with, and pray for our children because we fail to engage in these kairos moments? It doesn’t need to be an either or. Do we rush to tidy the house (because we haven’t learned to rest in the mess), instead of ceasing a moment to simply sit and focus our heart on reading a verse or two in God’s Word, or to engage in prayer and silence?
Susanna Wesley, mother of 19 children, 10 who lived past infancy, informed her children that when she placed her apron over her head that they were not to interrupt her because that meant she was in prayer and could not be disturbed. Perhaps we need to don our aprons daily and follow Susanna’s example.
This story is for Dads: Alexander Boswell lived in the early 1700’s and was a stern father and a judge in Scotland’s supreme court. His son James desired to become a writer, not pursue a career in law like his father (a huge disappointment to his father), and as a youngster he enjoyed the rare attention shown to him by his father-judge. This story unfolds about a time when his father took him fishing. Remembering their conversation and the enjoyment of having his father all to himself, James relished this day as one of his most memorable! Sadly, however, when Judge Boswell died and his journals were discovered, it was recorded that on this day of fishing with his son he wrote, “Gone fishing with my son; a day wasted.” How sad. James Boswell’s father was only focused on chronos time and valued a “productive” day by worldly achievement and outward appearances. He missed the importance of kairos time – the opportunity to be with and invest in his son – an eternal soul.
In this new year, I pray that God aligns my heart with that which matters most to Him. I know that His Word and relationships matter greatly, and that means seizing those kairos moments of opportunity for His glory. I pray that I become more aware of kairos time and align my attitudes and actions with the Father’s heart – ABIDING in the life-giving Vine of Jesus, my Savior. And you?
