Have you ever lost something that was very valuable to you?
There’s nothing worse than the helpless feeling of knowing something exists, but not knowing exactly where to find it. A couple years ago, as Julie and I hurried off for a much needed weekend of rest and relaxation, we remembered to hide a very valuable piece of jewelry that had been given to her by a family member. Now jewelry boxes are great inventions and very useful for practical reasons, but in many ways they are also like billboards in your home pointing the way for unwelcome guests and weekend robbers. We quickly grabbed the necklace (still in it’s decorative box) and stuffed it in a pair of black shoes nestled quietly in the back of the closet, an unsuspecting place for an item of such value and beauty.
The whole plan fell apart, however, when several weeks later we decided to clean out the closet and give our unused clothing to a local charity. You know where this story is heading. Perhaps you’ve been there yourself. Yes, we gave the pair of black shoes away and the diamond necklace with them! After a full day of digging through musty bins of discarded clothing, I finally resolved that the necklace had been lost. But the feelings of regret are still there. It’s hard to accept the truth. In an effort to protect something valuable, we lost it. The inescapable reality is that it would have been safer to wear the jewelry than to hide it.
How often do we do this with our lives? God gives us something beautiful- a dream, a passion, a personality, a talent. Sometimes people recognize these special characteristics, but other times they lie dormant and undeveloped within the hidden confines of our own souls. God created you and me to be used, not hidden, and put on display for His divine glory and purpose. Sometimes it’s easy to justify our hiddenness. We want to protect ourselves from the discouragement of failure. I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Mark 8.35, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Being on display is risky. It’s dangerous. And at times it can even seem foolish! Playing it safe seems far more practical, yet we were created for so much more. So I invite you to embrace this life on display. Go ahead, I dare you, waste your life on Jesus. I promise, if you do, you won’t be disappointed.
-Chris
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” -Ephesians 2.10 (NLT)
