Are You Wasting Your Life

ARE YOU WASTING YOUR LIFE?

MARK 8:34-38

I just celebrated another birthday. The years seem to go by faster as each one passes. I am thankful for the years the Lord has given me. As I get older I am reminded of the importance of using this life to fulfill the purpose God gave me. As I look around me I am made aware that if I do not pay attention I can waste the life God gave me instead of using it. That is the reason the title of a book written by John Pieper caught my attention a few months ago. The title of the book is simply, “Don’t waste Your Life”. That title is one that should get the attention of everyone, for life is too precious to waste.

As I read this book I was both concerned and hopeful. I was concerned because Pieper confirmed what I was already thinking, that I could waste my live, but I was hopeful because I realize that I had the choice of how I could spend and invest my life. I don’t want to waste it.

“Waste” is one of those words and concepts that really bothers me because it implies that I have control over it. Thought the end results might seem similar I believe there is a difference between waste and loss. In most cases I have little control over loss, and sometimes loss can result is a larger gain.

(** Right now we have thousands of men and women on foreign soil fighting for our country. Almost on a daily basis we hear of lives lost there. The loss is great, yet, I am humbled and amazed as I hear about some of those who knew the danger, yet thought it was worth giving their life for. I don’t think we would say their lives were wasted.)

Waste is different because I have control over it. Webster gives several definitions to this word, all referring to something passing away. The meaning I prefer is this it means to allow something to pass away and fail to use it for its intended purpose. I can’t stand to see anything go to waste. Debbie and Jason get aggravated with me at times because of my attention to waste.

I don’t think I am a total cheapskate because I don’t mind paying for something if I need it. I will run the air-conditioned to stay cool as long as I can pay the bill, but I can’t stand the thought of cooling an empty house or trying to cool the whole community. Debbie has a habit that really bugs me. She will stand at the door calling the cat for the longest time. I also like a lot of light. I have four 100 watt bulbs plus a lamp in my study and I burn the all, but I can’t stand the thought of those bulbs burning if no one is there. Waste is letting something pass away without using it for its purpose.

When I think about how precious life is and that I really only go around once on this earth I can’t stand the thought of wasting it. We cannot turn life off like a light bulb and save it for when we feel like using it. It continues to flow past us day by day, hour by hour minute by minute.

When it comes to our lives if we fail to live for the purpose for which we were created our lives are wasted.

As I said earlier the subject of wasting life catches the attention, for I don’t know too many people who want to waste their lives. Most people want to get the best of life. They don’t want to let it go to waste, yet many who are trying to avoid that are wasting their lives. We have been given the gift of life for God. It is a gift that is passing by on this earth. We decide if we will use it or waste it.

We need to ask what is meant by wasting our lives lest we waste our lives while trying to avoid waste.

Most of the people I meet really want to make the most of life. They don’t want to waste, but many have bought into the world’s idea of what it means to waste life. We will get to this later on, but for now let us be aware that the world view is to focus on saving life. Now most of the things are not bad in themselves. Some are even good things, but if they become our total focus we can waste life while thinking we are saving it.

- The world suggest that the one who dose not make all the money