Friday Fight 126: The Power of a Minute

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF126.

How often do we look at the clock and wonder where all the time went? We could be doing household chores, completing homework, or hanging out with friends. Still, much like calories, not all minutes are created equally. How do we utilize the passing time while ensuring we complete all tasks at hand? Are we list makers, do-it-tomorrow thinkers, or can we identify where our time is spent in hopes of making the most of our minutes?

The Power of a Minute:

At the grocery store last week, I watched a woman jump from line to line to shave a few minutes off her checkout time. I compared this to the man who ran a red light while on my way home from work. I wondered what they were rushing to do. We are given the gift of 1,440 minutes each day. How do we perceive what we can accomplish in those minutes, and what do we hold as most important? Traveling 30 minutes in traffic is certainly different from spending 30 minutes watching TV. Likewise, 60 minutes of sleep is much more beneficial than the same amount of time spent scrolling Facebook. Some of our combined minutes have no real impact, and others can be unforgettable. Historical moments like at 8:46 a.m. on 9/11/2001 most will never forget. We celebrate the moments after childbirth or mourn those after death. Knowing that some moments can last a lifetime, how are we ensuring their value? 1 John 2:17 says, "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." Here, we are encouraged to let go of the worldly mindset and prioritize our time by focusing on the eternal.

Everyone has defining moments, some shared with others and some private, but how much of our time is carelessly wasted? As Christians, can we place these moments together to add value to another person's life or benefit us for eternity? Some of us are careful about implementing time in the gym for 60 minutes each day or spending 120-180 minutes enjoying a night out, but how many daily minutes are we giving God? Are we devoting as many minutes to our spiritual health as we spend developing our physical and mental health?

Regarding our overall well-being, let's look at what our minutes in life can resemble. Reading the Word and praying for 20 minutes can make a huge difference in our spiritual lives. Allow this post to be reflective by acknowledging the need to increase our moments in prayer, worship, and reading the Word. Keep your minutes from being wasted on regret or anger. Let's combine them and cover each other in prayer. We can begin by evaluating where our time is spent and determining its value. Then, we implement small changes daily that will improve our spiritual quality of life.

The truth is we only hold the power to destroy ourselves. God's power is gracious, infinite, and loving. The Bible has 377 references to praise and 375 references to prayer. Imagine what 10 minutes with God could do for our mental and spiritual health because of His power! But we have to start somewhere. It only takes 21 days to form a new habit. So, whether it's removing ourselves from social media or attending church, both require us to focus on implementing the initial change. But once we commit ourselves, it becomes part of our routine. Our time gains value by how we choose to use it. Let's use the 1,440 minutes we're given daily and focus on what truly matters: fellowship with God.

Photo Credit: Abigail Tarburton (Soon-to-be Gragg!)

Pastor Shannon