Worry Can’t Add a Single Hour: Learning to Let Go and Trust God with Time
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“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” — Matthew 6:27 (NIV)
The Question I Didn’t Want to Answer Honestly
Worry and I have had a long-standing relationship. It’s not healthy, it’s not helpful—but it feels familiar. I worry about the future, finances, my family, my health, even things that haven’t happened yet. So when Jesus asked this question, it struck a nerve:
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
It was as if Jesus was gently saying, “Tell me, has your worrying ever really helped?”
And the honest answer? No.
Not once has worry solved a problem, healed a sickness, paid a bill, or extended a deadline. And yet—I still carry it like a heavy backpack I refuse to set down.
The Cultural Context of Matthew 6:27
In the first-century world, life was fragile. People were surrounded by the threat of disease, Roman oppression, poor harvests, and daily survival. There was much to worry about.
Jesus wasn’t speaking to people with comfort and control. He was speaking to people who knew what it meant to be vulnerable. So when He asked, “Can any of you add even an hour to your life by worrying?”—He wasn’t minimizing their fears. He was showing them the futility of anxiety and inviting them to a better way.
This wasn’t just a rhetorical question. It was a reality check with a heart of compassion.
What Jesus Meant: Worry Can’t Change What Only God Controls
Jesus’ question cuts to the heart of control:
“You can’t change time. You can’t lengthen your days. You can’t fix it by worrying about it.”
Worry gives the illusion of action. But it's a thief:
It robs us of peace.
It drains our energy.
It blinds us to God’s faithfulness.
In essence, Jesus was saying:
“If worry doesn’t work, why are you still clinging to it?”
Old Testament Foundations: God Holds Time, Not Us
The Bible has always emphasized that God—not man—is in control of time and life itself.
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” – Psalm 139:16
“There is a time for everything… a time to be born and a time to die.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1–2
“Our times are in His hands.” – Psalm 31:15
From the beginning, God has been the keeper of time. Worry pretends it can manage what only God can hold.
When I Tried to Worry My Way into Control
There was a season where I worried every day about my health. I watched the calendar more than I watched God. I worried about the future so much that I missed the provision of the present.
Eventually, I realized I was trying to be my own provider—as if my fretting could create solutions. But the Lord reminded me through this question that my job is faithfulness. His job is time.
Worry didn’t add a single hour to my life—but it did steal a lot of joy from my days.
What Worry Can’t Do (And What Faith Can)
Let’s break it down:
Jesus wasn’t offering a motivational speech. He was teaching us a Kingdom principle:
You don’t need to carry the weight of time. Your Father already has it in His hands.
Recommended Books to Further Study the Subject
Reflection Questions
What’s one area of my life I try to control through worry?
How has worry affected my relationships, sleep, peace, or joy?
What would trusting God with my time and future really look like?
Can I name a moment when God showed up in a situation I feared?
A Prayer to Lay Down Worry
Lord, I confess—I’ve tried to control things I was never meant to carry. I’ve let worry dominate my thoughts and rob me of peace. But today, I choose to surrender. Help me to trust that You hold my time, my future, and every detail of my life. Replace anxiety with assurance, and worry with worship. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Call to Action: Release One Worry Today
Jesus asked, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Let your answer lead to action.
Today, choose one worry to lay at the feet of Jesus.
Write it down. Pray over it. Then throw it away.
Every time it creeps back, declare: “My time is in Your hands, Lord.”
Want more heart-healing questions from Jesus? Join my free devotional series, “The Questions Jesus Asked,” to dig deeper into His words and walk lighter in your faith.
