1,000 Minutes

Over the course of my life, I have heard many people say something along the lines of "time flies." The older I get, the faster time does seem to "fly by." For the sake of my young readers, I am not speaking literally. Why does that seem to be true? In pondering the idea of the perceived speed of 'time', I remember two of the responses people gave me to an implied rhetorical question: "We acquire more responsibilities, the older we get," and "We realize how much time we have already accumulated in a particular situation".

Assuming a person gets 7 hours and 20 minutes of sleep each night, that leaves exactly 1,000 minutes to be awake each day. What do we do, and what could or should we do, with those 1,000 minutes? Obviously, everyone is in a different situation and stage of life. Some people have children to raise, an elderly relative for which to take care, a career to fulfill or employment to seek, or all of the above and more. Everyone needs to eat. Everyone should exercise. Everyone should also get some rest and refreshment each day. And each day of the week has slightly different tasks. Emergencies, and perceived emergencies, also come up from time to time.

As a sinner, I struggle with pursuing what I want (or at least what I think want), tasks that will make my life more comfortable, rather than what He wants me to pursue in a specific season of time in my life.

God has blessed each us with 1,000 waking minutes this day. You (and author included) may not have the opportunity, ability, and resources to do exactly what you want to do, or what someone else can easily do. However, we all have time to do something, and people in our lives we can encourage. May we use the time and unique gifts we have been given by God to glorify Him in what we do. May we ponder the verses below, and ask God each day how we can best use the next 1,000 minutes.

Psalm 118:24 – Today is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in today.

Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Hebrews 13:5-6 – Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'"

Psalm 127:1-2 – Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sheep

Proverbs 27:1 – Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

James 4: 13-14a – Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

Christian Ponder has been a resident of Lake Wales since 2001. He enjoys living in Lake Wales with his wife and two children.