There is an old Rolling Stones song “Time is on my side” and the first two lines repeat this phrase adding “yes it is”. As I coach people every day, there is a consistent focus on TIME. Does this sound like you?

  • TIME: Not enough of it to accomplish your dream.
    • TIME: Managing it to keep all your priorities front and center.
      • TIME: Always searching for more of it.

Sometimes, it is time management that is needed to make sure there is margin, white space and sustainability in work and life. Sometimes it is energy management making sure that your calendar is blocked around the distribution of your strongest and weakest energy moments day-to-day.

Sometimes, however, time arrives in a coaching appointment as “never enough time”, a perceived missed opportunity, being stuck due to some life event or viewing a season of life as passed the prime time of life.

This is where I introduce the biblical concept of two words that mean time. In the Bible, there are two words that are often used to describe different aspects of time: “chronos” and “kairos.” These words are used to convey distinct concepts of time within a biblical context.

  1. Chronos time refers to chronological or sequential time, the kind of time that can be measured with a clock or a calendar. It is quantitative and is concerned with the passage of time in a linear and measurable way. Acts 1:7: “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
  2. Kairos time, on the other hand, is a different concept of time in the Bible. It is qualitative and refers to the right or opportune moment, often characterized by divine significance or a sense of fulfillment. Kairos moments are not measured by a clock but are seen as moments of God’s intervention or divine purpose. Kairos time is associated with moments of decision, significance, or revelation. It is often seen as a moment when God’s will or plan intersects with human events. “Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

If I was coaching you, where would time show up in our conversations? Are you wrestling with 24 hours in a day, 7 days a. week and 168 hours that never seem enough? Are you needing more time in a day or requiring to distribute your energy within each day differently? This is chronos time view.

If, however, you are awaiting fulfillment of a new season ahead for your calling, looking for divine appointments or enlarged territory for your ministry, calling or life, you are viewing time through the kairos lens.

Chronos is manageable, where as Kairos deals with God opening and closing doors, God blessing a season of fruitfulness or harvest ahead for you. This is Ephesians 3:20 type of time that God can do more than we can ask or imagine in our transitions, endings, season changes through divorce, death, retirement and life change.

Recognizing the duality of time through chronos and kairos provides valuable insights into managing and experiencing the diverse facets of time in our lives. Both are integral to our understanding of God’s divine plan. Leave a comment below if you want to understand more about how you are viewing your time.

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2 Comments

  1. I guess it’s obvious which time concerns me. I stopped and started reading twice trying to multitask and it takes a great deal of effort for me to spend uninterrupted time with God. This helped me. I need God to help with chronos time using His kairos time to help me.

    1. Marcia, that is excellent self-awareness. I am cheering you on in the prayer for God to give you kairos focus in all areas of your life. Here if you ever want to talk more. Thanks for sharing.

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