Seize the Day! (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 14:14; Hebrews 4:16)

ROBIN WILLIAMS

I believe one of the first times I heard the expression, "seize the day", at least to my recollection, came from a movie I once saw of Robin Williams, as a college professor, in a boys boarding school, trying to get his students to think outside the box, and make the most of their lives. I honestly don't remember much of the movie, and perhaps if I did, I would find that it may not be a good example of the concept, but the expression, from the Latin "Carpe Diem", finds a place in the Greek word of this study.

TIME

This has already been presented, but the importance of the word lends itself to being re-emphasized. There are two main words in Greek for time. The one being ,(chronos), [5550, Strong's], and the other being (kairos), [2540, Strong's].

(CHRONOS) is where we get the English word chronology, and relates specifically to the unending movement of minutes; hours; days; weeks; months; etc. It doesn't stop, and it marks our lives in the years we live, as to how long we have been here.

(KAIROS) is much less mechanical, and represents the moments; seasons; periods of events or circumstances, that in a very real way, determine not the quantity of time spent, as with (chronos), but the quality of time spent. (Kairos) has no real English equivalent to translate it easily into English, but it defines moments of decision; life altering events; or circumstances that forever change and shape our destiny.

OPPORTUNITY & CRISIS

Interestingly enough, though it is translated as "time", it relates to a specific period of time. What is really interesting about this word, is that it means both opportunity and crisis. It is the seasons or events in our lives, that from a negative perspective, could be viewed as something dangerous or potentially destructive and harmful; yet from the positive perspective, the choices that we make at these times in our lives, catapult our lives into undiscovered opportunities and extreme advantages.

STEPPING STONE

Specifically, we need to recognize, that everything that comes into our lives, is obviously not from our Father, but the crisis that we face, (as the motivational thought expresses), that was meant for our tombstone, becomes our stepping stone into greater things.

EPHESIANS 6:18 says to "Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) [kairos] in the spirit..." (Amp)

"...at every opportunity [kairos] pray in the spirit..." (Gspd)

PRAYING in TONGUES

This is referring to praying in tongues, where "...if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit, by the Holy Spirit prays..." (1 Cor.14:14) (Amp), but it is at every occasion; circumstance; or situation, and specifically those crisis moments that come our way.

HEBREWS 4:16 speaks of finding "...appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it" (Amp), by accessing our Father's presence, "...so that we may find divine help at the divinely appointed time [kairos]" (TDNT, Kittel)

TRAGEDY into TRIUMPH

There is obviously a strong reliance on our Father, because He is our life, but the emphasis of this study, is to heighten our awareness to the reality, that every day and certainly on regular occasions, opportunity, disguised as problems, and challenges, even crisis, comes our way, but our choices can turn tragedy into triumph and defeat into deliverance, in our day to day lives.

CHOICES

What the devil meant to destroy us, can be the very thing that makes us great for God! Choices are something we make every day, and all the little, seemingly mundane choices, have an impact on our lives, but even more so, the choices in crisis, forever alter our lives, determining destiny.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours