Nothing Wasted
Easter means that God recycles people. Easter promises that your sins have been lost forever in the deep darkness buried in the empty tomb. Easter believes that you are recyclable. Easter knows that God is "at work in you" (Philippians 2:13).
There’s a new use for the old communist “block.” Back in the 60’s in East Germany the communist country faced a serious housing shortage. The solution: prefabricated concrete slabs were hitched together to make ugly but economical apartment buildings.
Today about one million units remain unoccupied. Some are being renovated, others are being torn down, and others are falling apart. But two young architects have devised a better plan. They’re taking the huge concrete slabs from demolished apartment buildings and recycling them into single family homes.
The cost for the slabs? Nothing, except what they pay to haul them away. The architects then hire contractors to bolt pieces together, cut out windows, put a finish on the exterior, and in process save the home buyer about 40 percent. Everyone wins.
Many Christian churches heard this story in their worship services last Sunday. It’s in the Bible and appointed to be read as the first Scripture reading two Sundays after Easter. Oh, the characters are different but the point of the story is the same.
God recycles people.
A man named Saul is as strong and solid as a concrete slab, throwing the weight of his zealous persecution all around the Christian world at that time. He ravaged Christian groups, threw both men and women into prison, and even supported their execution. His political future was bright, he had a clean record of civic duty, he had been schooled in rhetoric and religion.
And just when Saul thought he could build a kingdom on his own strength, determination, eloquence and leadership God brought him crumbling down. God knocked him off his horse, blinded him, and took his skills captive for a better kingdom. More than that – because God wanted to recycle this strong man’s abilities as partner and not prisoner – God called Saul to faith. The blinded strong man saw again like before, but he recovered from a spiritual blindness and saw what he had never seen. He saw God’s grace.
“This man is my chosen instrument,” God said with the eager determination of Tiger Woods choosing just the right club from his bag (Acts 9:15).
Every strength. Every insight. Every experience. Every skill. God took it all and, in Saul, who is now named Paul, put it to better use.
What talents of yours have been sacrificed to the gods of sinful pleasure or selfish greed? What skills have you lazily allowed to deteriorate because your ego is too busy chasing paths of great kingdoms? Easter means that God recycles people. Easter promises that your sins have been lost forever in the deep darkness buried in the empty tomb. Easter believes that you are recyclable. Easter knows that God is “at work in you” (Philippians 2:13).
For something better.
PRAYER: God of grace, would you choose me? With all my failed attempts at relationships and my half-completed projects and my hypocrisy to others and self – would you choose me? Would I – could I – be your instrument today? Recycle me now, as you have done to others, as you have promised for those who call on you. Share my pain. Guide my uncertainty. And when today is done let me rest knowing that you and I can do anything, God. Knowing that other people are better, are more loved, are happier, are forgiven, are closer to your love – because you have used me. Amen.