January 8, 2023
“Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don’t fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what He has made crooked?” Ecclesiastes 7:13 (NLT)
“So, pay attention to what you hear. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Luke 8:18 (NLT)
For the past year or so, I have been impassioned to complete an online program. I have attempted to rush the process; however, God continues to reveal and deposit within me what He wants me to know and share. A component of my online program deals with the Kairos concept. Why is it important to know and understand the concept of Kairos? How is Kairos meaningful in our lives? Is Kairos a biblical concept? Why Kairos? Why Kairos Moments?
My Journey With Kairos
The concept of Kairos started as a seed planted in my heart in 2004 while completing my thesis for a master’s degree in Christian Education from Michigan Theological Seminary entitled “The Efficacy of Christian Education in Spiritual Formation Within the Local Church.” One of my references was from the writings of M. Robert Mulholland Jr., in his book Shaped By The Word – The Power of Spiritual Formation. Reading his book and coming to Chapter 7 “Kairotic Existence” caught my interest. I actually had never read in depth about this concept. The powerful Kairos concept, which in a nutshell is basically “connecting with God.”
The Bible and Kairos
Scripture uses the word Kairos and its equivalents 86 times in the New Testament. The Kairos concept is used in Matthew 8:29; Luke 19:44; and Acts 24:25. Kairos often includes the idea of an opportune or suitable time for an action to take place. The Bible warns that we should take full advantage of the opportunities God gives us. When we “seize the moment,” we are taking advantage of the Kairos given to us. Kairos is related to the Greek word kara (“head”). Kairos is a time when things “come to a head,” requiring decisive action.
Kairos Moments
A Kairos Moment is a favorable moment within time when God acts! He gets our attention; we connect with Him and respond. Kairos Moments are crucial because they play a key role in our lives. They are life-changing and transformative moments that God places in our lives that not only change our perspectives but also change the trajectory of our lives leading us to our purpose! Kairos Moments positions us never to miss God’s best in Christ for our lives and reach our destiny! It is a precise moment when God creates an opportunity for essential growth and incredible transformation for us to live Kairotically (a life that is shaped by the Will of God). For more information on Kairos and Kairos Moments, see my blog at https://barbragentrypugh.com/the-power-of-kairos/
Does God have your attention? What does God have to do in your life to get your attention?
Now, What Are Some Ways God May Get Your ATTENTION?
REMEMBER: God does NOT speak to or dwell in a heart that is full of envy, jealousy, anger, dishonesty, or resentment.
God uses His Word, the Bible, to get our attention. God’s Word deserves our attention. Through His Word, God speaks to us and brings us life everlasting. But sometimes a gentle whisper from God gets our attention more than a shout from someone else.
John 8:47. “Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the words of God. Since you don’t, it proves you aren’t God’s children.”
Matthew 7:24. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”
Ezekiel 13:2. “Son of man, speak against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the Lord.”
Romans 1:20. “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.”
God uses nature to lead us to Him. Seeing the fingerprints and footprints of the Creator himself should get any person’s attention.
Mark 9:7. “Then a cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Acts 2:22. “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.”
Exodus 3:4. “When the Lord saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied.”
God sometimes chooses the miraculous to get our attention. There are small miracles such as our next breath and great miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, quiet miracles like the sunrise, and shattering miracles like a volcano erupting. There are “take-for-granted” miracles like a smile and “once-in-a-lifetime” miracles like an angel’s appearance. But any of these should catch and hold our attention, then focus it on God himself.
Acts 9:3-5. As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, sir?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!”
Job 36:15. “By means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.”
God can use difficult times in our lives to get our attention. Then we need to figure out what he wants us to do.
Isaiah 28:11. “Since they refuse to listen, God will speak to them through foreign oppressors who speak an unknown language!”
Daniel 9:14. “The Lord has brought against us the disaster he prepared, for we did not obey him, and the Lord our God is just in everything he does.”
1 Samuel 3:9-10. He said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”
Jeremiah 29:19. “They refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through my prophets. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.
God can use other people to get our attention and direct us to him. When a person truly is speaking for God, we must listen. Does God have your attention?
What does God have to do in your life to get your attention?
Rx: A WATCHFUL 
HEART: Mark 13:32-33. “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch.” Luke 21:31, 34-36 . . . Just so, when you see the events I’ve described taking place, you can be sure that the Kingdom of God is near. “Watch out! Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness and filled with the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
The growth and strengthening of our spiritual lives deserve our attention. If it pays to exercise our bodies so we keep them healthy, how much more it pays to build our souls, so they are healthy?
FATHER GOD, Thank You for Your Word that teaches us how to live! Help us to keep You as a regular part of our thoughts, so we are more prone to notice what he is doing and saying, in the Precious, Powerful and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.