The Time is now

The Time is now

I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:1b NIV

I remember while in my early twenties, thinking that belief in God was something for old people. I always thought that I would become a believer on my death bed or at some really old age, like thirty. When you are young, you carry an erroneous sense of invincibility. You think that nothing can happen to you. But a walk through a local cemetery should cure you of that fallacy. I recall visiting the grave sight of my father and took notice of the range of dates on the neighboring headstones. Someone well into their sixties was right next to a teen. There is no such thing as invincibility. Time is the only difference between those of us above ground and those beneath. Real faith in God isn't reserved for the elderly; it isn't something that only kids believe either. The time for faith is now.

I know that salvation in Christ is something that comes in God’s time. But in retrospect, I am remorseful that I did not pursue God at a younger age. I wish I had stopped spinning my wheels and embraced the Lord in my early formative years. I would love to have had God in mind in my youth, before the years began to rob me of strength and abounding joy (Ecclesiastes 12:1). If I had pursued God earlier…, I would have avoided so many pitfalls. I would not have hurt so many others. And maybe the pain I felt would have had some godly purpose beyond mere suffering. I would be more the man I should be and I might even be more mature. But God does things on His time. And that includes drawing us to Him. And for all I know, He used those failures and the suffering just for that purpose.

The fact is that it is never too late or too soon to give yourself to God. No matter if you are young or further along in years, your walk with God will be fervent, filled with vitality and overflowing with profound intimacy and learning. But you have to start today. None of us are promised tomorrow. All we have is the moment we are currently in. Now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. Will you choose God today?