My message today is intended to help us learn to recognize “the fullness of time.” You can not do everything the Bible commands the Christian to do all at the same time. In the fullness of time you will have opportunity and obligation to take that action. I trust this lesson helps you discover the fullness of time for you.
Setting the stage for our conversation
With fatigue, sensory overload, and compassion fatigue being foundational to our apathy, how then do we undertake healthful action?
Let’s take a “whole being” approach to appropriate action for the building of our lives. The “segmented being” approach fails to take into consideration the God created nature of human beings.
For example, what is fatigued? Your body? Your mind? Your soul? Your emotions? Your dream? The “whole being” approach suggests that YOU are fatigued. All of the segments comprise the whole you.
I have left the bleacher for God’s feature for my life. What actions do I take?
• Commit to faithful obedience to scripture and the nudges of the Spirit. Psalm 37:5-6
• Commit to whole being healthfulness.
All action is to be accomplished with an understanding of time and place.
• Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
• The people in Jesus’ hometown decided to kill him. Luke 4:29
• It is said, “Passing through their midst, he went away. Luke 4:30
• It was the wrong time and the wrong place for Jesus’ death.
Fullness of Time
• The Apostle Paul had this in mind when he said, “and when the fullness of time had come….” Galatians 4:4
• “Fullness” is also used in the narrative of Jesus multiplying the fish and loaves. The “leftovers” were picked up and the baskets were full. Mark 8:19-20
• When leaving apathy for action, we ask ourselves “Is this the time and place (is this action’s basket full) for me to take this action?”
Jesus did not always do the miraculous things people wanted, in my estimation, because it wasn’t the time or place (the action’s basket wasn’t full). Luke 4:24-27
• Elijah was sent to one widow out of many. Vs. 25
• Elisha ministered to one leper out of many. Vs. 27
“Fullness of time” includes the whole being. Among other reasons, we get fatigued when we take on actions for which “time isn’t full.” Our senses get overloaded when we experience sensory input for which “time isn’t full.” Our compassion becomes fatigued when we accept compassion responsibility for which “time isn’t full.”
Recommendations
1. Always do the things for which time is always full, such as caring for health, prayer, worship, love, purity, etc.
2. Challenge apathy by taking personal responsibility for your “fullness of time” decisions.
3. Do not compare your “fullness of time” to others.
4. Do not condemn yourself for the “fullness of time” quotient.
5. Trust God with the peace you have regarding “fullness of time.”