How to Know God's Will and Follow ItSample

Know the Right Time to Do Something

“There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little!”
Ecclesiastes 8:6 (GNT)

In many aspects of life—from your business decisions to your closest relationships—timing can make all the difference. And, as a follower of Christ, it’s critical for you to stay tuned in to God’s timing.

Every great accomplishment involves timing. A successful catch in American football requires incredible timing between the quarterback and receiver. In business, good timing in the market—particularly decisions about hiring and expanding—can mean everything. If you sing, you know how important it is to keep time with the other musicians.

Many years ago, I wrote a book called The Purpose Driven Church. In the introduction, I compare leadership to surfing. No surfer says, “Let’s go make some waves today.” Surfers can’t create waves in the ocean. Only God can do that. Surfers wait for the waves that God creates.

That means surfers spend a lot of time waiting. Sometimes they might see a wave and let it go, knowing it’s not the right time. Then the surfer sees just the right wave, starts paddling faster and faster, catches the wave, rides the wave, and gets off the wave without wiping out.

Surfing looks easy, but it requires a lot of skill. The same is true in life. You have to develop the skill of timing. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 8:6, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little!” (GNT).

There’s a rhythm to life. Learning to do the right thing at the right time takes skill. Christians often call that skill “walking in the Spirit.” The more you grow as a follower of Christ, the better you get at walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

If you want to know the right time and the right way to do something, then you need to ask for help from the Holy Spirit. Then you keep your eyes open for how He is moving.

You can live life trying to make your own waves. Or you can learn to see and catch the waves God is making all around you.

This devotional © 2024 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.