The Power of 1440: Making the Most of Every Minute in a DayНамуна

Follow the Leader

In the next twenty- four hours you have 1440 shots to seize the power of the day and, in the process, transform your life and maybe even the world. But don’t just assume that with that many golden coins to spend, you’ll undoubtedly stumble into spending some of them well, even if some are wasted.

No, to fill your days with delight instead of drudgery, impact instead of impasse, and adventure instead of apathy, it takes intentionality and the right role models. Indeed, your 1440 chances to be remarkable will yield less than you might imagine if you are influenced by the wrong leaders.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re all influenced by the society we live in. Our culture. Our peers. Social media. There are plenty of people to admire out there, but only one worth truly following.

To make the most of your 1440 minutes, start with following the person of Jesus, not just his actions. Respond to his welcome before trying to replicate his works. Chase intimacy over imitation. Intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which everything else will rest.

• Talk with God. We should talk and have conversations with God just as we do with other humans. God talks to us through his general Word, the Bible, and through his specific Word, the leading of the Holy Spirit.

• Make it personal. True intimacy with God is felt deep within your soul. It’s there that you bond with the heart of God.

• Be patient. Developing intimacy takes time. As you grow in trust with him and believe more and more what he says in his Word, your love for him will increasingly grow.

Many times the Bible tells us to model our actions after the actions of Jesus. For instance, the apostle John wrote, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). As the clock ticks away and you receive the gift of another minute, make it remarkable by using it to follow the example set before you by the One you love.

It shouldn’t be any surprise that Jesus wants us to be motivated by love as we follow him. “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands” (1 John 2:3). Of course, to obey the commandments of Jesus you have to understand what they are. Read about many of Jesus’ commandments to us in his own words, and make a regular study of the Bible part of your life.

I believe your every act of obedience ultimately unleashes a miraculous act of God in your life or in the lives of others. Maybe you’ll see evidence of it, maybe you won’t. But when we spend our golden minutes walking in our God-given strength, life is anything but business as usual.

If you believed, really believed how you spend your 1440 minutes could change the trajectory of lives and events, wouldn’t you take these minutes a lot more seriously? it’s a huge paradigm shift. We’ve spent years trudging through our days, passing the time, waiting for those occasional moments when the stars seem to align and we feel truly alive. What a different perspective to realize that we can live each minute to its fullest and that how we live each moment can move the very hand of God and unlock untold blessings.

When we follow Jesus, our true leader, we will carry with us throughout each day the love, compassion, and boldness he exemplified. That is a leader worth following! 

Respond

If you really believed how you spend your 1440 minutes could change the trajectory of lives and events, what would you do differently today?

Reflect on some characteristics of Jesus described in the Bible. For example, how did Jesus respond to people around him? How did he interact with his Father? How did he handle persecution and temptation? In light of Jesus’s example, write out a few specific ways you can follow Jesus in your attitudes and actions today. 

Set a timer for five minutes, and have a personal conversation with God. Be honest about your concerns, and listen for God to reveal his heart to you.