My Time

by Chadwick Brewer

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27).

One of my biggest self-deceptions is that my time is my own. I often feel and act as if I am the rightful owner of 24 hours each day. The truth is, my time is not my own. Whatever time I have is a gift from God. I cannot create it, nor can I, by any measure of strength or desire, hold on to a moment to make it last longer. Time passes over and by me without my permission. It is a delusion to think my time is mine. Time belongs to God, and He gifts me the time I have.

When I act as if my time is my own, I can feel extraordinarily generous when giving a small fraction of it to others or very hostile and begrudging towards those who take my time. This delusion becomes a stumbling block, leading to both pride and resentment. It fosters worry and concern that I will not have the time I need — or, more accurately, the time I want.

Since time is a gift, I must ask myself, “What is this time (which is not my own) given to me for?” Selfishly, I’d like to answer, “For me and my pleasures.” Yet, as a servant of God and others, perhaps I should recognize that it is a gift meant to be used for others. In this way, this gift and blessing can also become a blessing to others. How much more meaningful could my time be if I recognized it as a gift to be used to bless others?