What can you do with 2 seconds?
If you're one of those people who think time is disposable, there's a story from college football that might lead us to a different conclusion. Michigan hosted Penn State on Saturday afternoon. It appeared that Penn State was going home with the win after they made a dramatic score in the final minute of the game! Michigan took possession of the ball. When the clock showed just 28 seconds remaining, Michigan's coach, Lloyd Carr, made an appeal to the refs to put 2 seconds back on the clock because they were late in recognizing a time out request. Those seconds became critical as Michigan kept pushing for the goal. With 1 second left, Michigan's Henne, threw a pass to the end zone where it was caught-- game over, a Michigan won on that last play!
What can you do with 2 seconds?
You could say - "thank you," before hurrying on from a transaction. You could breathe a quick prayer for a distressed person who catches your attention. You could pause to re-focus your attention on the Lord just as you're ready to blow up in anger. You could make a decision that will shape the rest of this day. Our 'wins and losses' are often shaped by choices made in a second's time!
Time is a precious commodity. Time is the one thing in which all people are equals. Days pass with the same march of minutes for each one of us. What will we do with this gift? None of us knows if we're playing the final seconds on our game's clock, do we? So making wise use of those minutes, hours, - yes, even those seconds - is an important choice.
Solomon, "the Teacher," cynically writes of the life he lived in the book of Ecclesiastes. In one breath, he rants about the emptiness of life, 'meaningless, a chasing after the wind,' but then he turns to muse about the value of time. Read his words thoughtfully:
"There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does?" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, The Message)
His cynicism creeps into the end of even that thought! Does it make a difference? Yes, it does! Even Solomon acknowledges that making the right choice, that using 'just 2 seconds' wisely is important. In the final chapter of his book, he concludes:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NKJV)
One thousand, one. One thousand, two. 2 seconds ticked off the clock. What are choosing, right now?Make it a wise choice, one that is focused on pleasing God and building an eternal treasure. If you're 'just killing time,' I pray that the Spirit's conviction will lead you to change your ways - NOW!
"Live wisely .... and make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5, NLT)
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