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The time of your life. Or is it the timing of your life?

I have this propensity to overthink, well, everything. This is also known as “spending too much time in my head.”

I don’t have many regrets. Sure, there are some things I would like to have a “do-over” with, but I’m learning that what is in the past is simply that – the “past.” You can’t go back and change things, Doc Brown, but you can glean whatever lessons you can and move on.

I’d be way presumptuous as to try to determine what you’ve faced or are facing in your life. It is safe to say, however, that all of us deal with something.

How do you handle those times, those issues? If this is the time of your life right now, how do you go about redeeming the time? Can you fix things as you move along? What is the timing of your life – what’s God up to in these days?

Because He’s up to something. He always is.

God knows the exact timing of your life. Because of our finite world view, and because we are living right now, we often ask, “Okay, God. What the heck are You up to? Am I part of some cosmic experiment? Are you engineering circumstances just to see how I’ll react? Why am I dealing with what I’m dealing with right now?”

This isn’t some existential crisis thing I’m talking about. It’s just asking some hard questions.

With that as background to understanding the timing of your life, I’m gonna do a deep dive here. I have a hunch that this will resonate with you. I want it to help. If this just slides right past you as irrelevant, then take some satisfaction in knowing that someone else reading this will benefit.

Here’s the question: Have you ever suffered? Are you currently suffering?

Cheerful, I know.

You’ll have to determine on your own scale what “suffering” really is. For instance, when my beloved Auburn Tigers lose a football game, I don’t like it, but I’d hardly consider it suffering. If, though, I’m dying of cancer, then I’d be justified in calling that suffering.

Or is it? Does the timing of your life include awful, soul-searing pain? Put another way, is there a plan to your suffering?

If you’re a believer, you already know the answer to that, unpleasant as it may be. God is always at work to conform believer to His likeness, and that might not feel pleasant. He knows the reason for your pain, and is under no obligation to reveal that reason to you (although in hindsight you may understand completely what He was up to.)

Fact is, God knows the reason for your pain and understands the suffering you have to endure.

Consider:

1. He blesses you with patience. Yeah, I know. If your temperament includes being impatient, this one is hard. I believe, though, that patience is a virtue that serves believers well. In spiritual growth and maturity, there are no quick fixes. If God wants us to experience a new and significant part of His nature, He’ll take His time in teaching us. He has eternity in mind, unlike we puny humans who get all bent out of shape if the line at the checkout at Walmart is too long.
2. He blesses you with love. When we’re on the ropes, and hurting, God’s love becomes even more clear. We move into that attitude of dependence on Him and recognize that apart from His love we’re sunk. His love blesses us and gives us the opportunity to be more like Him.
3. He blesses us with freedom. Think about this: when we’re dealing with hurt and even suffering, we have complete freedom as to how we respond. We aren’t some primitive life form that blindly responds to what’s going on around us and we aren’t like the moth who is irresistibly drawn to the light. We choose whether to move to the light or not, or whether to stay in the darkness of the modern world. Isn’t that something. We are responsible for the condition of our hearts, and can choose whatever path we’re faced with. Freedom to choose is certainly a blessing.

All sorts of things come our way in the course of a day – or a week, month, year, or lifetime. We interpret those things as good and bad. I’d suggest that, as a believer, it’s all ultimately to the good (and that’s not an original thought with me – Romans 8:28, baby!)

The timing of your life is in God’s strong hands. Our role is to hold fast to faith.

That looks simple and easy in print. But in real life … whew.

I feel like I’m going way too simplistic here, but simple truths are the best: God’s hand is on your life and there is a reason for everything – everything – happening in your life right now.

He doesn’t expect you to know “how” you’re going to get through your current trials. He simply blesses you with the chance to keep moving. Isn’t persistence one of the most important values you can hold?

Keep moving in the direction you know best and God will take care of the rest. That’s His absolute promise.

If it doesn’t feel like it’s over, it’s not.