“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?<\/em>” (Matthew 6:27).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[514,1434],"class_list":["post-69829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-time","tag-time-management"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50153,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-keep-having-sex-because-im-looking-for-love-and-acceptance\/","url_meta":{"origin":69829,"position":0},"title":"I keep having sex because I’m looking for love and acceptance","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a mother of a teenage boy. I was traditionally married to his late father who died over a decade ago. I always find myself falling into the same sin: I cannot resist sex. I am HIV positive, and I always tell that to my partner. I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17412,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-people-feel-like-they-lived-past-lives-because-of-demon-possession\/","url_meta":{"origin":69829,"position":1},"title":"Do people feel like they lived past lives because of demon possession?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is Matthew 12:43-45 a hint that we can have spirits enter in us and cause us to feel, think, believe or even do certain things that go against God? It's not the same as possession is it? 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Those who are skilled in the arts of deception will always find an audience willing to be deceived!\" \"The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21083,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-tell-a-friend-that-benny-hinn-cannot-heal-her-blind-child\/","url_meta":{"origin":69829,"position":4},"title":"How do I tell a friend that Benny Hinn cannot heal her blind child?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 21, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I know a person who has a blind child.\u00a0 This person wants to take her child to Benny Hinn because she believes her son will be healed through him.\u00a0 I know this is not true, but I need Scripture to back it up.\u00a0 I feel so bad for her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":69955,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-god-punish-people-who-lost-their-virginity-through-no-fault-of-their-own\/","url_meta":{"origin":69829,"position":5},"title":"Would God punish people who lost their virginity through no fault of their own.","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like to know if God will not punish people who have lost their virginity through no fault of their own. 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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.<\/p>\n