Of all the mysteries of our existence, time is perhaps the greatest mystery. It is also one of the most powerful proofs of the existence of a Creator.

When we talk about time, we find ourselves using the preconceived definitions of time to describe itself. In essence, we come full circle, describing time as a sequence of events that requires an acceptance of the common understanding of time to begin with. We invent concepts to describe time, such as the completion of the earth’s orbit around the sun as a year. A single rotation of the earth becomes a day, and we arbitrarily dissect that day into 24 hours and each hour into 60 minutes, and so on. We further complicate our understanding by measuring the distance to another star in terms of light-years, or the distance light would travel while our earth makes one rotation around our sun.

If we step back a moment from this confusing mix, we realize that all our understanding of the concept of time comes from our own tools invented to describe it. In fact, it is almost impossible to discuss anything about time without referencing some element or definition that we have created.

So, we are all familiar with the effects of time, but we have no clear understanding of what it actually is. And to further confuse us, science now merges time and physical dimensions into something they call “spacetime.”

Time is an element of our existence like gravity or light or the power of atomic structure. And like those other elements of our existence, we have little or no control over it. It is a force of nature that we must categorize as a tool of God’s design, a tool that is beyond our control and beyond our understanding.

When we describe events of the distant past, we might describe those events as having happened billions of years ago. But what if the earth orbited at a greater speed long ago. Now, that year becomes quicker by our definition, but the actual time that passes is unaffected. Or is it?

Perhaps time is one of those secrets that God keeps to Himself. And perhaps time is one of those things that will always separate us from God and contribute to our need to embrace a relationship with our God.