Screwtape Letters: Our Perception of "Our" Time

A couple months back, I read through C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, and found it extremely thought-provoking. For the sake of time, I'm not going to write a long explanation of everything, but will share a couple of paragraphs and then some Scriptures that go along with it. It has really served to remind me that my time is not my own, that it is instead God's time given to me as a gift. I need to be a good steward of this gift and honor the Giver by using His time carefully. 

You  must therefore zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption "My time is my own." Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours. Let him feel as a grievous tax that portion f his property which he has to make over to his employers, and as a generous donation that further portion which he allows to religious duties. But what he must never be permitted to doubt is that the total from which these deductions have been made was, in some mysterious sense, his own personal birthright.
You have here a delicate task. The assumption which you want him to go on making is so absurd that, if once it is questioned, even we cannot find a shred of argument in its defense. The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift; he might well regard the sun and moon as his chattels.

C.S. Lewis, The Illustrated Screwtape Letters 26-27 (Enhanced ed. 2011). 

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Colossians 4:5-6 (English Standard).

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17 (English Standard).

"Do nothing from selfish abmition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 (English Standard). 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

 Philippians 4:8-9 (English Standard)

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 (English Standard)

Okay, I must conclude this post as I need to leave to do other things (hopefully using my time in a God-honoring way!). Hopefully the above makes sense...Oh, for grace to know, trust, and serve Christ more!

Hold fast to Jesus!

Sonia