Let’s Not Waste Our Lives!
I posted this Eugene H. Peterson quote yesterday on the Flowing Faith Facebook page and have not been able to forget it ever since: “What a waste it would be to take these short, precious, eternity-charged years that we are given and squander them in cocktail chatter when we can be, like Jeremiah, vehemently human and passionate with God.”
I think all human beings are afraid of wasting their lives. We crave for meaning and purpose for our lives. It’d be horrible to think our lives would be thrown into a waste basket.
Blessedly we know that our value derives from God. We are special because God has created us and breathed life into us. But it is up to us to decide what we do with our lives. Do we fill our lives with entertainment and cocktail chatter? Or, even worse, do we fill our lives with toxic things & habits? What a waste! What a waste indeed! God, have mercy on us! (Read Psalm 25, MSG)
We all know that there are times in each of our lives when we feel like we are total scumbags. We’ve failed or something miserable has happened to us. I’ve been there. Probably you, too. The lowest point of my life was when I was dumped by my first husband. Just like that I was replaced, left like unwanted waste. But do you know what? Even there, in the darkness of a dumpster, was God waiting for me. Even when it seemed like everything else in my life came tumbled down God was there like a solid rock. Even then & there I was loved, cherished, and cared for.
It is always a miracle when we are raised up by God’s love and grace. It is always a miracle when we are healed and put together. It is always a miracle when we start believing again that we are not waste. Let that miracle happen to you, too. You are not waste. You are a child of God. You are God’s own gem.
But! Because we are God’s precious children we are not to waste our lives in cocktail chatter when we can be vehemently human and passionate with God! Because it really is God who gives our lives meaning and purpose. It really is God who makes everything shine and sparkle in our lives. It really is God’s love that carries us through the hardships of our lives. It really is God’s joy that bubbles in us and makes us want to reach out to each other. It really is God’s lovingkindness that pushes us forward to follow our God-given dreams.
I choose God time after time. I choose God when on the top of the mountain. I choose God when my life takes an unwanted twist into darkness. I choose God. Because God has chosen me long before I was born. Because God loves each and everyone of us with such fervent love that we can only dream of duplicating it. Because God invites us into life and more life. Let’s not waste our lives! Let’s say yes to God! Let’s say yes to life and the Giver of Life!
Gracious God,
We bring you all the pieces of our lives.
We bring you the joyful pieces,
We bring you the wasteful pieces
and we pray that you create something beautiful of our lives.
Restore us and fill our lives with vehement energy
to live, love & serve you passionately
so that our lives would be full of meaning & purpose for your glory.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: How have you dealt with feeling like garbage? How are you embracing “these short, precious, eternity-charged years”?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim! God is good – all the time!
P.S. Don’t forget the fun contest that ends on the 30th of September!
Photo courtesy of Chad Runge
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