You must live your life. Make it worthwhile. Every man, every woman has a burden. Lift yours cheerfully and begin to climb… Love those with whom fate has placed you. And fight—fight the dark moods, the selfish thoughts, the hateful memories! Work…love.”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)
“So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is… always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.”
–Ephesians 5:17,20 (NASB)
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Have you ever come to the end of the day and remarked, “My that was a wasted day”? If so, you must ponder the reasons that it was wasted. Some waste time away with wantonness, other waste the time away in daydreaming. We are told to “redeem the time,” yet all too often we find that we are wasting time.
I’m sure that most of us, at one time or another, has made the following statement, “Well, that was a waste.” You purchased something and it didn’t prove to be what you thought it would be; it didn’t do as you expected. Perhaps you have given money to a homeless person, and someone has said to you, “You wasted your money.” Recall the words of disdain when the woman broke the vial of perfume to anoint Jesus, “But some were indignantly remarking to one another, ‘Why has this perfume been wasted?'” (Mark 14:4) In John, the words are attributed to Judas, but it seems that many were in agreement.
Watchmen Nee says this about “waste”:
“What is waste? Waste simply means giving too much. If a shilling will do and you give a pound, it is waste… A waste means that you give something too much for something too little. A waste means that the one who is receiving the something is not worth so much.”
The world would say that if you have talent and you use it for the Lord then you are wasting it. You could be making much more money. Many would say to Christians that you waste too much time in service for the Lord. Don’t waste your money on that small church, give it to some decent charity, such as the United Way. “When once our eyes have been opened to the worth of the Lord, nothing is too good for Him.” (Nee)
It seems that the Christian wants to be blessed, yet wants to sacrifice little for the blessing. Is the Lord satisfied with our labor and service? It is vital that we recognize, and shamefully some have not, that our service to the Lord is not on commercial lines. It can never be; our service must be to please Him.
Take some time to inventory your works. Then take more time to prioritize them. See what you are doing for the Lord, then check why you are doing them. Are you working for a blessing, or to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?