Are You Living Life Deliberately?--Part Four

(*This is the final posting for my four-part "Are You Living Life Deliberately?" series.)

Thanks to my maternal grandmother, I grew up knowing that wasting food was a bad thing. Although she never forced any of her four grandchildren to eat every single morsel of food we were served while dining at her house, she would say something if we didn't make an attempt to eat what she'd prepared for us. And, more likely than not, her comments contained a reminder that lots of people didn't have healthy home-cooked meals like the ones we had. In other words, she wanted us to show we appreciated the fact that she had invested money, time and energy into the meals we enjoyed at her house.

For the record, my grandmother was an amazing cook. To this day, one of my favorite meals is chicken, mashed potatoes, and greens, thanks to her. And, although she passed away more than 20 years ago, I can still taste her peach cobbler and banana pudding. All I have to do is look at photos from my childhood and I'm quickly reminded of just how much I loved her cooking! So, those comments about not wasting food were rarely said directly to me.

As I've gotten older, my eyes have been opened to other ways that people can be wasteful. And, if any of us were asked to make a list of all the things we waste in a given year, I'm sure we'd be too embarrassed to show it to anyone. Some common entries on the lists would probably be such things as time, money, skills, and talents.

When we are wasteful, we squander what God has given to us to be a blessing to us. According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, to squander is to "spend extravagantly or foolishly" or "to lose (as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction." Although this is bound to happen from time to time, we should do our best to not let it be a way of life for us. We should want to be known as conquerors, not squanderers.

Maybe reminding ourselves to be more prudent from day to day would be helpful. Posting a Bible verse such as Proverbs 12:27 on a mirror, refrigerator door, or some other surface we see a couple of times a day may be a good idea. The New International Version (NIV) of this verse reads, "The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions," while the King James Version (KJV) says, "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

Since I enjoy eating food so much, it's hard for me to imagine that a person could have a potentially delicious meal in front of them and not do what is necessary for them to enjoy it. But, that's exactly what we do when we waste the blessings God sends to us for our use and enjoyment.

Closing Thought:

If you feel you've been squandering your time, money, relationships, talents, etc., it's time to make a change. And, if you've been allowing something--a habit, frame of mind, person, etc.--to distract you from doing what's really important to you, analyze why you've allowed that to happen and pray that God will help you break free from its grip. If you feel comfortable sharing your desire for change with a loved one, trusted friend, or prayer partner, do so. Ask them to keep you accountable and offer words of encouragement when you're in need of motivation.

Verse of Encouragement:

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,..." (Ephesians 5:15-16a, NIV)