20 Minutes Until Eternity

We live in a world where everything is timed, scheduled, and rushed. We count minutes like they belong to us. And if we’re honest, many Christians bring that same mindset into worship. We come ready to praise, but only if it fits into our expectations. We check the clock, shift in our seats, and quietly hope the sermon wraps up soon. Yet these very same people want to spend eternity in Heaven.

Eternity. Endless worship. Endless praise. No clocks. No deadlines. No “Is this almost over?” If Heaven is a place where time is swallowed up in the glory of God, why does an extra moment in His presence feel like an inconvenience on earth?

That thought should make us pause. Because if worshipping God for an extra 15–20 minutes feels uncomfortable now… what does that reveal about our hearts? This isn’t about guilt. It’s about honesty — and it’s an invitation to look deeper.

Time reveals affection. And it slows down when we don’t enjoy something, but it flies when our hearts are fully engaged. We will sit through a 3-hour movie without noticing, a ballgame that runs into overtime, or hours of scrolling without blinking.
Yet we can grow restless after 45 minutes of worship. Not because God is boring, but because our hearts are often distracted, tired, or spiritually underfed. 

In Revelation 7:15, we read that “They worshipped day and night before the throne…” Worship in Heaven isn’t rushed. How can you time eternity? It will be nothing but unending joy.Every song we sing here, every moment spent in God’s presence, every prayer we lift up… it’s preparing our hearts for the place where worship never stops. If Heaven is eternal praise, then worship on earth is rehearsal, not inconvenience. What we value determines what we enjoy. When God is our delight, worship feels like life. When God is an obligation, worship feels long.

Psalm 27:4 says: “One thing I ask… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life…” The psalmist wasn’t counting minutes. He was hungering for God. And Psalm 84:10 says: “A day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” A thousand days! Not an hour. Not a half-day. For the heart that is tuned into God, time isn’t the enemy — it’s a gift.

God’s worthiness is much greater than our convenience. If we can linger in places that entertain us, shouldn’t we be able to linger even more in the presence of the One who saved us?

Worship is not about the length of the closing prayer, the number of songs we sing, or the preacher’s sermon duration. Worship is about God — and He is worth every minute. Worth our attention. Worth our focus. Worth our sacrifice. Worth our love. There is nothing we could give Him that would ever outweigh what He has already given us.

Overall, Heaven is eternal worship. Not hurried. Not rushed. Not timed. So if our hearts grow anxious over a few extra minutes now… maybe it’s not the clock we need to examine, but our heart. And maybe God is gently calling us to slow down, breathe, and remember He is worth it. He is always worth it.