Time Keeps on Slippin' Into the Future

The Correspondent

The many clocks in our house are not in sync. The dining room clock runs fast while the three den clocks tick away to the beat of their own drummers. Even clock radios within the same bedroom don’t agree on the time.

Recently, the battery in the kitchen wall clock ran out of juice, and it stopped completely. Rocko noticed the discrepancies and said, “None of the clocks in this house show the same time. Which one is right?”

Christiana cheerfully took the opportunity to mess with her brother, and she responded, “The one with the correct time.”

“Which one has the correct time?” Rocko asked.

“The one that is right,” Christiana teased.

“How do I know which one is right?” Rocko asked exasperatedly.

“It’ll be the one with the correct time,” Christiana grinned.

At this point, I stepped in and ended the cycle of circular reasoning. I also made a mental note to change the battery in the kitchen wall clock.

I decided we need at least one clock in the house that is consistently set to the standard -- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Zulu Time (Z) or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), whichever title floats your boat. Then we can check the one clock that we know is displaying the correct time and adjust the others accordingly. I made a mental note to undertake that simple project as well.

Just as I need a clock set to the standard of time, my life needs to be set to the standard of Scripture. This analogy eventually breaks down because Greenwich Mean Time doesn’t apply to the entire world, but the Scriptures apply to everyone because we all have the same root problem (Rom. 3:23; 5:12).

I’m thankful that as our standard – our guideline, our straight edge – the Bible gives us the antidote to our problem (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31) and instructions on how to live the Christian life (See the entire book).

If I want my clocks to be right, I set them to Greenwich Mean Time. If I want my life to be right, I read, memorize, meditate on, and apply the words of the Bible.

Since time keeps on slippin’ into the future, I want to spend more time reading, memorizing, meditating on, and applying the words of Scripture so that my life is in sync with the word of God. Six weeks ago or so, I began embracing those responsibilities with fresh fervor, and I’m enjoying anew storing up God’s word in my heart, despite my dwindling brain cells.

It’s such a blessing to have pertinent verses on hand when I’m tempted in various situations. For example, when I’m ticked off about something, I remember, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). When I slip into the blame game trap, I call up, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). When my children are pestering one another, I remind them, “Love is kind” (1 Cor. 13:4). This has made a world of difference in my life lately.

My family’s commentary is the best gauge for how faithfully I’m staying on track. Now if they’d only remind me to fix the clocks.