I had almost forgotten the questions small children always ask when they are in the car. Questions like, "Are we there yet?" or "How much farther?" and my personal favorite "How long 'til we get there?"
© 2006-
Livin' On Sponge Bob Time
Donna Sprinkle
2008-08-11
The last question was the one we were hearing most often from our small grandchildren. And somehow telling a 4-year-old and a 5-year old that we will be there in 30 minutes just doesn't do the trick. They do not tell time so 30 minutes means absolutely nothing to them. However, their 9-year-old sister came up with a brilliant explanation.
She simply turned to them and said, "That's one Sponge Bob away." And their response was, "Oh, okay." Wow! Why didn't I think of that? She was talking their language. They loved the cartoon and were perfectly satisfied with that answer. I now knew how to respond to the question, so the next time they asked I answered, "We're still one-half of a Sponge Bob away." Immediately, the questions ceased because even though they couldn't tell time and didn't know exactly how long that was, they were comfortable with the length of the cartoon they watched so often.
And I suppose in some ways understanding time is the same for us. Only when we reach a certain age in life do we begin to better understand and appreciate what the Bible is saying to us in James 4:14. It says, 'Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.' (NIV) The older we get, the faster time seems to fly and the more we understand the word 'mist' or 'vapor' as a description of our lives.
That's when we start to appreciate just how short life really is and how important it is to make the decision to be a Christ-follower. But too often many put that decision off because they have not understood this scripture is telling us how quickly life passes and none of us have the promise of tomorrow!
But how can we even begin to understand time the way God sees it? The things familiar to us are what we understand. 2 Peter 3:8 tells us how God sees time. It says, 'But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." How long is that? I'm not sure about you but I don't even know anyone 100 years old much less 1000 years old. Although that reference of time is unfamiliar to me the scripture goes on to tell us that He will come again and we need to be ready. Now, that's pretty clear, isn't it?
Acts 4:10-12 says it like this, 'Today is the day of salvation. It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth...salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.' (NIV)
Although He doesn't have to explain time to us in Sponge Bob vernacular, it is explained in terms we can understand if we listen to His Word. The Bible uses terms to express to us that tomorrow is unknown, life is like a vapor, today is the day of salvation and a decision should be made quickly while there is still time.
So now you have to ask yourself a question. "Am I hearing and understanding it yet or am I still living on Sponge Bob Time?
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