Releasing the Weights that Slow Us Down

“Since we are surrounded by so many examples [of faith], we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.” Hebrews 12:

Leaving a legacy in this world is important, and time is short. We should not waste time because it is the essence of our lives.

Do you know that for most people 80% of their output will come out of activities derived from 20% of their time? This trend is called The Pareto principle (the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor scarcity). The principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. This principle works in many fields; for example in marketing 80% of the sales will come from 20% of the customers, 20% of the population shares 80% of a nation’s wealth, and so on.

This rule can help us address our effectiveness. We can concentrate on productive tasks and stop being absorbed in unimportant things that do not add a lot of value to our lives. Instead of misspent time, we can endeavor to work for fewer hours during which we focus on tasks that are more productive. This can create time to build our relationships with God and others; the only lasting legacy. There are many things we can do but not all are included in the things God has called us for.

Using this rule we can increase time in which we are engaged in those activities we are gifted in and therefore have a passion for. This makes us more energized and productive even when we perform other mundane tasks that build our character.  Using our talents also increases our influence and makes a difference in other people’s lives. We should make use of every opportunity to invest in others. Spending time building our treasures here is just vanity, because in time our names will eventually be washed away by the waves of time.

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Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn.
Delmore Schwartz

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