by David Gibson<\/p>\n
Two university students were talking. One lamented that there wasn’t anything to do in our small town. The other said he had once been a student in a large city where there was so much to do that his grades suffered as a result. He felt it was to his advantage to be in a community like ours, allowing him to concentrate on his studies. What one considered a liability, the other viewed as an asset.\u00a0The student who realized he’d be tempted to waste his time had come to know himself and had grown wiser from experience. He now saw things from a different perspective.<\/p>\n
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil<\/em>” (Ephesians 5:15-16).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
There is no question that our days are evil. The question remains regarding how we walk and how we use our time.<\/p>\n
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked … but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night<\/em>” (Psalm 1:1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What a difference a new perspective can make!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by David Gibson Two university students were talking. One lamented that there wasn’t anything to do in our small town. The other said he had once been a student in a large city where there was so much to do that his grades suffered as a result. He felt it was to his advantage to…<\/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":[20],"tags":[608,1452],"class_list":["post-87435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-excuses","tag-perspective"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51733,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-god-kill-the-egyptian-babies\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":0},"title":"Why did God kill the Egyptian babies?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can you please shed some light on the angel of death causing the firstborn of all the Egyptian babies to die? I understand to some degree that God in His sovereign will allow this to work out for the freeing of the Israelites from bondage. Knowing that no one\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":29055,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-ahab-humbled-himself\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":1},"title":"When Ahab Humbled Himself","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton It might seem odd, but I love it when a student in a Bible class asks a deep question -- you know, a question that shows the student was thinking far beyond the immediate lesson. This morning, a student was working on a lesson about greed\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":27514,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-deal-with-a-misbehaving-boy-who-is-being-mean-to-my-son\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":2},"title":"How do I deal with a misbehaving boy who is being mean to my son?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am having a hard time lately with the way my preteen son is treated by his long time friend at church. One week the friend will be his buddy, the next week he will purposely exclude him and make an issue over leaving him out of a conversation\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":59016,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-be-around-someone-who-has-done-evil\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":3},"title":"How do you be around someone who has done evil?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I've been reading through your website and have found your work interesting. I was wondering if you have some advice for me in a situation relating to my boyfriend and his family. Recently my boyfriend's stepmother filed for divorce against his father. Scripturally, both parties are in the\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":24289,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-in-the-bible-does-it-tell-about-two-judges-ruling-at-the-same-time-one-evil-and-the-other-one-good\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":4},"title":"Where in the Bible does it tell about two judges ruling at the same time, one evil and the other one good?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Where in the Bible does it tell about two judges ruling at the same time, one evil and the other one good? Answer: Sounds like a trivia question. I suppose some might count Eli as an evil judge (I Samuel 14:8); however, his sin was not in his judgment\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":5829,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-by-gods-grace-that-a-person-survives-a-near-death-situation\/","url_meta":{"origin":87435,"position":5},"title":"Is it by God’s grace that a person survives a near death situation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, I have heard people saying after a near-death situation that \"It is by the grace of God he is alive.\" How biblical is that? Thanks Answer: \"Grace\" is a favor given, even though it is not deserved. 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