‘Everything on earth has its own time and its own season’ Eccl 3:1 (CEV)
We can draw out and learn so much from this one single verse of scripture. Today, we are looking at how this word relates to methods and ways by which things are done. In the days when our Lord Jesus walked this earth, he would have read the above verse from a scroll. The scroll later gave way to the codex, which is the historical ancestor of the modern book. It is on record that the rise of Christianity and the need and hunger for the Word of God gave rise to the development and spread of new forms of documenting written work including the books we read today. Christianity was at the cutting edge of advancement in the world.
Have you ever wondered what happened to Blockbuster Video, and other such companies and products that had their ‘own time and season?’ Does anyone remember Kodak, Minolta, Toys ‘R’ Us, Polaroid, Collins’ A to Z Street Maps, Woolworths, Floppy disks, Maplin’s, the Telephone Book, Fax machines…? Guess what they all have in common? They were not quick to realise that their way of doing things – their approach – needed to change with the times, culturally and technologically. They refused to innovate. Companies who recognised the times developed products and methods to match the needs of people (customers) and rose from nothing to dominate the world of business and commerce. Companies like Amazon, Google and Netflix come to mind, as wells as many older companies who have adapted methods and ways with the changing times and seasons.
What does this mean for you and I? It is important that we begin to learn new skills, embrace new ways, keep ourselves updated with new things in our line of work or in any field we want to enter into. We also need to begin to make necessary adjustments to the way we speak, behave and conduct ourselves as the standards and procedures are changing in the workplace, the community, the home and the world in general. The beauty of all this is that following and living by the Word of God will keep you relevant and ahead of the game always. Let us close with another verse in 1 Chronicles 2: 32 (ISV)
