Thursday, March 21, 2013 -- Waste Not, Want Not (1)

“The cross is where you leave your burdens and walk in faith.”

One of the things parents often say to their children is, “Waste not, want not.”  They are trying to make a connection for their children between the responsible use of available resources and wholesome living.  Sometimes that means only putting on our plates what we can eat rather than what our eyes tell us we want.  At another time it might mean using, rather than wasting, an opportunity to develop something good in our life.  It also may simply mean to make the best use of our time in service of God and community rather than when we are older wishing that we had.  If we live our lives for God then we will experience the fullness of life God intended for us and live satisfied rather than discontent. 

God has offered us a wonderful resource in the life of His son, Jesus Christ.  When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)

God knew that we could not handle life on our own.  God knew that we would get our lives and relationships cluttered with sin and guilt, shame and resentment, and disappointment.  God chose to make a way for us to live free and live well.  His way was to put all of our sin and sorrow and suffering on Jesus, to have Jesus die for us, and by His death to remove the suffering and punishment we deserved.  God does not want us to waste one more day living in the pain, confusion, and suffering of our sins or the sins of others against us.

It was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.  How do we get all that stuff in our hearts and minds out of us and onto Jesus?  (Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT)