4% will change your life

An hour is 4% of your day. (approx. the real math is 4.17% but whatever.)

It’s crazy when you think about it right? I’ve been thinking about this for weeks. It seems like an hour goes by in an instant every evening when I’m scrolling through my phone. I am sure by this point you are trying to find whatever you can to occupy your mind instead of the typical things in life like, work, going out to eat, going to church, hanging with friends, going to school, or whatever it may be.

This next part may sting a bit but please, hang with me.

The amazing thing about this time is that it is forcing everyone to slow down. Even you. You’re probably reading this on your phone. Do you get the screen report each week on how much screen time you use? Is it over 3 hours? Statistically speaking, it probably is. The average iPhone user touches their iPhone over 2,000 times a day. WHAT? Two THOUSAND times a day?

“Yes, Nathan but I use it for work.”

Okay. The screen report also tells you how much screen time you spend on social media and mindless tasks. Check that and then get back to me.

Let’s get one thing straight. Social media is not good for you. It is a comparison game. It is the reason for so much anxiety in so many people. It is a political forrest fire that never stops spreading. It’s nothing but fake false information. Baby Boomers used to make fun of Millennials about “Always being on their phones”. It’s still true, but everywhere I turn I see a GenX and/or a Boomer on their phone just as much. Social media has convinced my generation and genZ to be afraid of commitment, it fuels depression, and for Christians, social media replaces God completely. And most of us spend hours and hours mindlessly scrolling searching for that dopamine “hit” to the brain that we long for.

If it isn’t the phone, how much T.V. and/or Netflix do you watch? If you just said “not that much”, please log every episode or movie you watch this week and let the facts convince you it isn’t that much. I’m guilty too with YouTube. Even if it is “informational” it’s still a problem and it’s still too much.

Im not coming at just you. I am guilty too. Everywhere we turn it seems like everything is fighting for our attention. For our vote. For our heart. For our money. For our lives. I have found a solution.

What if you took and hour a day and spent it fighting for yourself?

Maybe in silence or reading? Come on. It’s 4% of your day.

What about a 15 minute intense workout? 1% of your day.

What if you picked up a new hobby for 45 mins a day. 3% of your day.

And for all my followers of Jesus, an hour in prayer and bible reading. 4%.

Those totals equal 12% of your day. Thats it. 12%! Wow. Could you imagine how healthy our minds could be if we just slowed down for an hour a day. If we stopped the noise. If we woke up before everyone and just sat and meditated, prayed, read, or exercised.

This entire post was inspired by a book I’m reading called, “The Ruthless elimination of Hurry” by J.M. Comer. I realized how much I fill my life with noise just to fill it with noise. I made a ton of excuses for it too. “Music is how I connect with God.” Okay, Nate but what about people 100 years ago? Did they have an iPod with Hillsong Worship on it to connect with God? “Im training my ear because I am a musician.” Okay, but how much time have you actually spent practicing? How did Mozart or Bach train his ear? Hopefully you understand what I’m getting at. Something had to change. Comer recommends a sabbath for Christians, and so does God. So I tried it.

For the first time ever, I took a sabbath yesterday. For those who don’t know what a Sabbath is, it’s a day of rest. A day where you act like the work is done even when it isn’t. A day of being filled up by God. A day of getting away from the noise. I slept as long as I wanted. I made good food. I didn't look at social media. I read books. I read my bible. I prayed. I played/practiced guitar for about 6 hours. I didn’t even listen to music. And if you know me, my headphones are always attached to my ears with a new podcast or music or Youtube video. Yesterday, I literally sat in silence with nothing fighting for my attention. This is against everything society says. People will probably call me lazy, crazy, or “too committed.” Thats okay. I know there is life found in the sabbath. I wish I would have done this earlier.

It changed my life forever. Thank you GOD that you commanded this for your people.

(Check the 10 commandments if you don’t believe me)

There is a section in the book I mentioned that encourages you to try to sit in the silence more often. So I tried it this morning on a 5 mile run. (haha)

I am training for a triathlon. Saturdays are the difficult workouts and today I ran farther than I have in years. My body woke up at 5:30am even though my alarm was set for 6. I guess my body was ready to run. I stretched, drank water, brushed my teeth, and hit the pavement at 6:10am. It was 45 degrees so that encouraged me to pick up the pace a bit to warm my body up. I went with no music this time to try and soak up the “silence” as Comer states in his book. I’m blessed to live out in the country in Tennessee (thanks Dad!). Creeks, cows, birds chirping, and a sunrise welcomed my morning run. A half mile in I was warmed up and feeling fantastic. My running cadence on the pavement combined with nature was all that fought for my attention. I said to myself, “God, you’re definitely in this.” I spoke the Lord’s prayer, thanked him for many blessings he has given me, and continued to run confidently.

Fast forward to mile 4. I had just set a PR on Miles 1&3. But I was completely dead after the 5K (3.1) mark. The wind was at my front, I was chaffing (lol), my knees were aching, my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds a piece, I am spitting to keep my mouth clear of mucus, I was sweating like crazy and barely making it. I laughed as I thought, “God, SAVE ME.” But I stopped. I realized I wanted to avoid the pain and uncomfortableness. I listened for a second. There was still silence and calm all around me. Instead of crying for help, I worshipped and said, “God, you’re still in this.” God is not just in the beautiful moments. He’s present in the pain too. When it hurts, his comfort and presence is still all around you. So I’ll still believe in God, even when He is silent. That lesson hit me like a freight train this morning.

I finished the run. As I sat on my porch to catch my breath I looked at my watch. 7:10am. An hour of bliss/silence quickly turned into an hour of intense, feel like you’re gonna die, training. HA! 4% of your day right Nate?

I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was my time of silence. A time with God. A time of prayer. It made me strong in more ways than one.

Take 4% at some point this week. Try it. Fight for yourself! Sit in silence. Read a book. Start that new hobby. Go to the gym. Spend it with Jesus. That 4% will change your life.