“God is never early, and never late. He is always on time.” – Dr. David Paul Jeremiah
In a society that is full of distractions and demands, it seems that being late is easier to accomplish than being on time. Like in the Philippines, it seems that “Filipino time” is the norm. Filipinos are known to be tardy and always late. When we say that we will meet at 8:00 a.m., we automatically think that it’s 9:00 a.m. Most people will accept this reality.
I am a believer in punctuality and it makes me sad. This has been a longtime concern of mine – the lack of appreciation regarding punctuality. The problem with everyone these days is that we want to be everywhere but nowhere on time.
Punctuality is the habit or quality of adhering to an appointed time. It is a strict observance in keeping engagements. Its antonym: tardiness or being late.
One might wonder whether punctuality is really all that important. How about for the Christian, is it a sin to be habitually late for one’s appointments? Is there a need for concern regarding the lack of punctuality especially to Christians?
There is no commandment in the Bible that says, “Thou shall not be late, ever.” But there are passages in the Scriptures that relate to punctuality. For instance, the Bible says: “Let all things take place decently and by arrangement.” (1 Corinthians 14:40). It also reveals a more noble reason for being punctual: It shows respect for others and their precious time. (Philippians 2:3, 4) By contrast, those who constantly make others wait could in effect be stealing their time.
Promptitude is not only a duty, but, is also a part of good manners. When we lack punctuality, we mistreat others by stealing their time. Chronically late people have subconsciously adopted a perspective that says, “I’m important enough that others will wait for me.” Being late means that you think your time is more important than the time of other people. In making appointments, we must come on time because we have no right to throw away other people’s time. We are to respect their time. If we honor others better than ourselves, we will make it a point to be on time as a sign of our respect. Matthew 7:12 says, we are to treat others as we would want to be treated.
Being late has an adverse effect on the spiritual growth and health. Punctuality is a byproduct of the spiritual fruit of self-control (Galatians 5:22). It requires that we be proactive about our choices and schedules. Waiting cannot only be frustrating, but it causes unnecessary stress and wasted time for the person that must wait. Forcing others to wait for us from time to time is simply rude. Continual lateness does not express love for others. When others perceive that we are unloving and unconcerned about them, our reputation as Christian suffers. A good name and reputation are important for us. This means that we should be known as people of our word, dependable, trustworthy, and not be known as always late and unconcerned about others. Our actions as Christians point back at Christ. Do they glorify and bring honor to Him? Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
How can a simple minute of being late be equated to sin? When we are late, we stole a minute of a person’s life. That person could have done other things like making a living, studying the Bible, praying, or simply being with his or her family for a longer time. Sin begets sin. A sin can lead to another sin. When we are late, sometimes we are forced to make excuses. We blame everything – traffic, broken alarms, other family members, government, etc. On the other hand, being constantly forced to wait can be very aggravating, especially to those who try to be on time. Irritation can easily become anger, which can easily become sin. We are never to be the cause of someone else’s sin. Furthermore, as Christians we do not want to cause someone to sin.
In the final analysis, being late is not in our DNA. It is not something that we inherit. It is not because we are Filipinos that we are always late.
Punctuality is a choice.
Christians are supposed to be following a higher standard. What does chronic lateness tell us? How can we shine as good example to others when we don’t even respect their time? How can we influence other people if we can’t even keep our words?
Let us not take the possibility that there are valid reasons for a person to be late. There are simply some things that are beyond our control. We have to understand that. But let us eliminate the habit of being late.
I salute all those who value punctuality highly. And being Christians, it should be an indispensable practice. I am leaving a challenge for all of us, let us strive to be punctual. This will not just improve how we perform in all areas of our lives and relationships, but it will help us grow to be a more spiritually mature person.
Learn to be reliable and a person of integrity by adopting the discipline necessary to be on time.