It had been about three years since I last took my boys fishing. At that time, I only had Theo and Cooper, and to be honest, I must have been a little crazy to take a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old fishing by myself. With hooks, bait, and kids who have the attention spans of toddlers, it’s no surprise that I didn’t do much fishing that day. It took me three years to work up the courage to try again. It just wasn’t the right time.
Two weeks ago, when I took my boys fishing again, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much they had improved. They could cast their lines and actually pay attention, making for a far more enjoyable experience. I’m not the best fisherman, but I have learned a few things over the years. Like most activities, two important aspects are location and patience—you need to be in the right spot and willing to wait. From my experience, fishing is best during dawn and dusk when insects are more active and fish are naturally more likely to eat.
So, when I told my boys it was time to pack up because the sun was getting too high to fish, they were a little confused. They would have fished all day long, but they reluctantly put their poles away due to Dad’s urging.
While reflecting on time and the message of Ecclesiastes, we discovered that there truly is a time for everything, and some activities are more suitable at certain times than others. The chances of catching fish are better at dawn and dusk, but that doesn’t mean you won’t catch them at other times; it’s just more effective to go fishing then.
Looking at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, we see that it is always the right time to hold onto the Gospel:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 ESV:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up.”
We must always be willing to die to self (1 Corinthians 15:31), to be born again (John 3:7), to plant the Word (1 Corinthians 3:6), to harvest souls (Matthew 9:37), to put to death old habits (Romans 8:13), to be healed (1 Peter 2:24), to break down walls (Ephesians 2:14), and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). This is just the tip of the iceberg; there is never an inopportune time to obey God’s calling in your life. No matter the season, God has made it so that it is always the right time to live for Him.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV – 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Have fun exploring the rest of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and discovering how it is always the right time for the Good News.