The Power of Time

I am amazed at the power of time. A few of weeks ago Trisha and I were talking to a married couple. She happened to mention that she struggled with anger and resentment toward her husband. As a follow up question, I said, “How long have you been mad at him?” “Eleven years,” she said. I said something that I had never thought about before, but have since thought a lot about. I said, “The longer you allow anger to reside in your heart, the more of your heart it resides in. Anger only grows over time.”

Since that conversation, I have thought about that statement. Time carries multiplying power. I think that principle is true in many areas of our lives:

The longer we stay in debt, the more difficult it will be to get out of debt.

The longer we think the worst of a co-worker, the more difficult it is to trust that person.

The longer we allow fear to live in our heart, the more it paralyzes our trust in God.

The longer we are jealous, the more jealousy controls our motives and intentions.

The longer we allow temptation to live in our mind, the greater ability it has to control our thoughts and decisions.

The longer we tell lies, the harder it is to even know what is truth.
The longer we are anxious the more worry robs us of joy in our life.

The longer we manipulate people to accomplish our goals, the more we close our heart to the needs of others.

I think that is why the Bible says:

…”Take every thought captive.”

…”Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.”

…”If you know your brother has something against you, drop everything and go to him.”

Time carries tremendous power.

Has time multiplied problems in your marriage? Have you allowed time to paralyze you with fear? Have you been dishonest so long that now you even lie to yourself? Has unresolved conflict with a friend over time caused you to lose that friendship? Have you allowed thoughts about a person to live in your mind so long that you think about them more than your spouse?

Time can be the enemy of spiritual transformation and the author of spiritual atrophy.

Is there an area of your life that time has damaged?