Decades ago, the book The One Minute Manager sought to teach business managers how to use brief moments of time to deal with people and issues.
I had thought about borrowing the idea and the name to draw attention to the possibilities of Christians using small moments in their day to read and grow. It was to be a mini-dictionary with condensed entries.
The print-out in the photo, above, bears the date 1999.
However, concerns arose about rights and trademarks related to the name, and the idea took on a different form in various works published in Brazil and still to come.
The intent behind the name “The One Minute Christian” was not to suggest that Bible study could be done in a minute or two, nor that life in Christ could be squeezed into a short amount of time.
The idea, which remains valid and biblical, is well expressed in Colossians 4.5: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”
The context ties the last phrase to the need to evangelize those outside the faith. This is the priority for every Christian, but the principle of making the most of every opportunity applies to all aspects of life.
The internet and social media are stripping this away from most people. Very few use their electronic devices in a fruitful way.
Perhaps in this sense, the first entry of “The One Minute Christian,” which was left incomplete, could be aptly applied—on abstinence: “Luke 21.34; from evil Acts 15.20; 1 Thessalonians 4.3-5; 1 Peter 2.11.” Much more could be added, like the text from Acts 21.25.
Abstinence is a term from another era. Today’s dissolution and licentiousness scorn the idea of depriving oneself of anything or restraining from participating in sin. In his Little Bible Encyclopedia, Boyer defines the term as “voluntary deprivation.” The one-minute Christian deprives himself of many things—some even good—to dedicate himself body and soul to the knowledge of God and his work.
The volume entitled “The One Minute Christian” will remain just an idea. Yet may we be followers of the Lord Jesus who let no moment of opportunity pass to serve in the Kingdom of God and draw near to the Lord in holiness and daily devotion.
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