By Chris WittsWednesday 5 Oct 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
Subscribe to Morning Devotions podcast
Transcript:
How many times have you said I wish I had five more minutes? Like the day you stand at the international airport terminal to say goodbye to a precious loved one who you will not see in a long time. You hang on to every minute not wishing the time to go by. Five minutes may not sound like much, but did you know a lifetime is made up of so many years, months, weeks, days, hours and minutes.
An hour is actually 12 segments of five minutes. Most people think nothing of a short five minutes. The boss says “everybody take a five minute break” or the coach says to his players during practice “take five”. If it were 30 minutes or an hour, we would do something with it, make something of it. But since its five minutes, well, there’s nothing much in that. But if we would make use of twelve 5 minute segments called an hour, we probably would. But five minutes on its own, is it worth it? Would the world stopped spinning if I just took five minutes to do nothing. What’s wrong with that?
Believe it or not, time is more important than money. More can be done with time than money. The consequences of losing or wasting time exceed the equivalent with money. How we spend five minute fragments of time is important. The months are minutes multiplied. Of course. Think of the bundles of 30 second opportunities wasted. This matter of wasting time, I think it’s worth having a look at because we all do it. I’ve noticed as I’ve got older, that time seems to be going faster. Learning to use the odd five minutes makes all the difference. How many people in this life and the next wish they had a certain five minutes to live all over again when the door of opportunity is shut and locked. If it could only be opened one more time. When harsh or ugly words are spoken to. That clock could just be turned back five minutes. I wouldn’t say what I did say – don’t presume on your next five minutes you may not have.
Actually, many would spend an entire lifetime if they had to to redeem five minutes of time. That changed the course of life. You see, not a single five minute segment comes with a guarantee that you’ll live to see the next 30 seconds if you get what I mean. The Bible has some very good advice in Ephesians 5, it says. Be careful how you live. Be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiots as the rest the world does. Instead, walk as the wise who make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times. Understand and be confident in God’s will and don’t live thoughtlessly so we should number our five minute moments as well. Make the most of every living and breathing moment. There are many inequities in the world, but one thing we have in common is the amount of time each day. For God has allotted 24 hours to each of us.
Perhaps because we’re products of our fast paced society, we tend to think and act as though God has just short changed us. When it comes to time, it’s not uncommon to hear comments like “there just isn’t enough time in the day to do everything I have to do.” “I just don’t know where the time goes, I’ll try to find time.” Time is a precious commodity. 1 Chronicles 29:15 in the Old Testament says “We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.” So your life is a gift from God. And when you take that to heart, everything changes. The five minutes do matter because all time doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to God and it matters what you do with your time here on Earth. Don’t waste it. Look for ways to do good to others. And so serving God is the best use of time. Have you said, “Lord, thank you for giving me another day.”
God gives us all 86,400 seconds every day and you’ve got to use those seconds today or they’re gone forever. What have you been putting off that you can get done now? Today is all we are promised. Proverbs 27:1 says never boast about tomorrow because you don’t know what will happen between now and then.
True, we all live now, in a time when technology can end up dominating our time, our schedules in our lives, whether it’s your mobile phone, computer, email, social media or the apps you use, you’ve got to make sure they are your servant, not the other way around. Don’t let technology control you and waste your time. So how well are you spending your time? Do you make time for God and His Word? The Bible?
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, how easy it is to waste time. I want to be amongst those people who are redeeming the time, making the best use of every minute, every day. Sure, Lord, we need time to relax. But, Lord, we also need to do things that are productive for your kingdom. Give me the wisdom I need. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.