“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8).
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
This quote is from one of my favorite books, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The Little Prince learns that love is truly the most important part of life. The things and the people we love and treasure (Luke 12:34) should get the most of our time.
If we really think about that and evaluate it, we may not be too happy with the way our time is currently being spent. Slowing down to smell the roses, or the spaghetti sauce, gives us more time to spend with those we love – our Creator, our spouse, our family, our friends, our neighbors. They all want time with us. Do we have time for them?
Do we have time to love ourselves? Christ in us — a precious treasure — is carried around in our jars of clay! Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:6 that the Creator God “who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts” – Christ in us. That is the way the world knows that what we do – our strength, our love – is not of ourselves, but from God.
‘Every provision’
This life is not easy. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen – for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Christ in us, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
In Creation’s Garden, God gave humans every provision for daily renewal of our bodies. He provided us with whole foods and rivers of water and sunshine to give us the energy and nutrients and the internal clock that our body systems and metabolism must have for health. He gave us work to do and music, dancing, and playing for physical activity that burns that energy up and regulates our metabolism and chemical balance.
He gave us families and friends, whom we love and who love us. He gave us a desire to seek Him and find Him in prayer and meditation. He gave us the night, and the moon and the stars for sleep that renews us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. God gave us all this – and He gave us the time to do it. We have to take the time to know Him and trust His understanding and wisdom.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5–8).
Take time to know Him. He made you. He knows you. He loves you. He wants to give you wisdom and nourishment and health. Take time to find it.
We need to take time
Time to grow things to eat- if nothing else but beautiful green herbs in a window
Time to enjoy cooking slow food and eating with family and friends
Time for physical activity – daily work and chores or intentional exercise
Time with God both alone and in fellowship with the body of Christ in church
Time outdoors in the sunshine daily to enjoy the Creator’s world
Time with our spouses
Time with our children, our family and our friends
Time to sleep – really sleep!
More than anything else, we have to make time for the purpose for which we were created:
Time to glorify God and enjoy Him forever
Time to know Him through prayer and meditation and His world
Time to spend with those He has given to us to love
Time to take care of our bodies, which He made to be a temple, a dwelling place for His Spirit
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
As a helpful resource, I have lots of articles on healthy ingredients and recipes that you can implement into your daily life.
If you’d like to dig deeper into my journey of discovering God’s plan for health and wellness, check out my book, Made For Paradise: God’s Original Plan for Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Rest.
