"The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives."--Albert Schweitzer
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self (Luke 9:25)."
When I was about 9 or 10, my dad was a volunteer chaplain at Michigan City Prison. As such, he was allowed to accompany a group of prisoners outside the prison walls, where they would put on a program in churches, singing and sharing the Gospel. I will never forget a man named Frank Dunn who was in prison for life with no chance of parole. He had a beautiful bass voice and sang a song that haunts me to this day, "Wasted Years."
I praise God that He redeemed what was left of Frank's life and used it to His glory. But, it reminds me of how important it is to allow God to redeem the days we have left. There are times I regret the years I wasted when I was not in a relationship with God; but, I also regret that even as a follower of Christ, I still waste a lot of time, resources, opportunities, focusing on what I want and my will instead of God's.
Right before Jesus made this statement recorded by Luke, He told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Being a good steward isn't only about our money and giving our tithes. It is also about giving our time, our energy, our other resources, our talents and abilities, our hearts, minds, and all of our strength.
Being a true disciple of Jesus is also about realizing that there are others around us who are wasting their lives, not at all fulfilled, in need of knowing the Savior that we serve. Let's not waste another moment. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind all that we are able to do, what He would have us to do, and how we can reach others for Jesus.
Godspeed, Doulos
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self (Luke 9:25)."
When I was about 9 or 10, my dad was a volunteer chaplain at Michigan City Prison. As such, he was allowed to accompany a group of prisoners outside the prison walls, where they would put on a program in churches, singing and sharing the Gospel. I will never forget a man named Frank Dunn who was in prison for life with no chance of parole. He had a beautiful bass voice and sang a song that haunts me to this day, "Wasted Years."
I praise God that He redeemed what was left of Frank's life and used it to His glory. But, it reminds me of how important it is to allow God to redeem the days we have left. There are times I regret the years I wasted when I was not in a relationship with God; but, I also regret that even as a follower of Christ, I still waste a lot of time, resources, opportunities, focusing on what I want and my will instead of God's.
Right before Jesus made this statement recorded by Luke, He told His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Being a good steward isn't only about our money and giving our tithes. It is also about giving our time, our energy, our other resources, our talents and abilities, our hearts, minds, and all of our strength.
Being a true disciple of Jesus is also about realizing that there are others around us who are wasting their lives, not at all fulfilled, in need of knowing the Savior that we serve. Let's not waste another moment. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind all that we are able to do, what He would have us to do, and how we can reach others for Jesus.
Godspeed, Doulos
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