Waste Not, Want Not (1)

One of the things parents often say to their children is, “Waste not, want not.”  They are trying to teach their children about the responsible use of available resources.  Sometimes that means only putting on one’s plate what one can eat rather than filling it with everything that looks appetizing.  At another time it might mean using, rather than wasting, an opportunity to develop something good in our life.

God knew that we could not handle life on our own.  God knew that by ourselves we would get our lives and relationships cluttered with sin and guilt, shame and resentment, with resulting disappointment.  God made 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 in our place, and by His death, to remove the punishment we deserved.  God did this for us before we even knew Him.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps 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 does not want us to waste one more day living in the pain, confusion, and suffering of our own sins or the sins of others against us.  These are unnecessary burdens to bear.  Jesus invites us to exchange our pain and troubles for peace and healing.  The price has been paid.

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.  (Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT)

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