I once posted this Eugene H. Peterson quote 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 in our lives. It’d be horrible to think our lives would be thrown into a wastebasket.

Show me how you work, God;
School me in your ways.
Take me by the hand;
Lead me down the path of truth.
You are my Savior, aren’t you?
(Psalm 25:4-5, MSG)

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!

Forget that I sowed wild oats;
Mark me with your sign of love.
Plan only the best for me, God!
God is fair and just;
He corrects the misdirected,
Sends them in the right direction.
He gives the rejects his hand,
And leads them step-by-step.
(Psalm 25:7-9. 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 an 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 tumbling down God was there like a solid rock. Even then and 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.

Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
Don’t let me down when I run to you.
Use all your skill to put me together;
I wait to see your finished product.
(Psalm 25: 20-21, MSG)

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 loving-kindness 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 every one 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!

Giving thanks today for
#781 We are not waste
#782 Our value comes from God
#783 God’s strength in/for us
#784 God raises us up
#785 We are not alone
#786 Jesus is our rock
#787 God loves us no matter what
#788 God’s recharging our energy
#789 God can do so much more with our lives than we could ever do
#790 God gives me security, love, direction, and purpose
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Image courtesy of Chad Runge. This post is refurbished from 10/2010. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday and