DESPICABLE LATENESS

"Let's meet at 2 pm," you suggest to your friend. 

Oh yes, he gets all enthusiastic and agrees, "OK, see you at 2 pm!"

An hour passes; and still, no shadow of your friend.

Sounds familiar? One sets a meeting at a certain time. It's quite normal that at the appointed time, no one, not even the one who called for it, is present. 

It's prevalent---no, it's a norm in the Philippines. That's why it's called Filipino time. 

I'm pretty sure you're familiar with this: Your receive a formal invitation to a wedding. Clearly printed are the  date, time and place for the ceremony and reception. Whew, you make it exactly on time in spite of the traffic. Inside the church, you see just a handful of souls, so you ask yourself, "Did I get the date or time wrong?"

No, you didn't! You're in the Philippines! Where three o'clock may mean 3:15 or 4:00 pm. 

Volumes of articles must have been written about Filipino time and its negative effects; yet everyone seems to have cuddled it like some valuable heirloom. Pamana by our Spanish colonizers---but haven't we beaten the passed-on-by-our-colonial-masters excuse to death?   

Today's more convenient excuse? Ay, sobrang traffic! But how come others make it on time anyway? Many have plainly treated lateness as a cute Filipino thing. You can't lose your temper because of it, so why not just embrace it?

But doesn't lateness mirror character? Isn't punctuality synonymous with commitment and discipline? 

"I respect and esteem you, that's why I take the extra effort to make it on time." That's what we're really saying to someone if we come for an appointment on time. 

It goes back to character building 101: 

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:21

Time is precious commodity. We've got only twelve hours in a day. No more, no less.

If you're an office worker: four hours more or less to commute to and from work (with traffic factored in); then eight hours to work plus a one-hour lunch break.

At home and elsewhere: seven hours for sleep;  two hours to bond with loved ones over breakfast and dinner; and maybe two hours for either household chores, exercise, shopping, or once in a while socializing with friends and other relatives.

That's why we can't squander time. Like seed or talent or any other object, time is a resource, and must be managed wisely. No wonder Jesus taught us to make use of our resources wisely. 

Whatever time spent must yield something. In modern or industrial parlance, that's productivity. 

Companies value their workers' ability to come to work on time and meet deadlines, along with their commitment to deliver excellent results. Promotions and salary increases are bundled with productivity, or producing more at the time allotted.

But more than solely aiming for promotion or hefty financial rewards, shouldn't we, being Christians, aim for His approval first and foremost? Don't forget your testimony! You are salt and light, even when it comes to time management.

Promotion comes from the Lord---He uses your boss to show you favor. 

Be on time, pretty please?

Originally published at: http://cbnasia.org/home/2013/08/despicable-lateness/