Wasted Years

Question: How many years have you wasted, going and doing what you wanted to do? Think about what you accomplished.
When I think back over my life most of it was a complete waste of time. All I did mainly was take up space and prove for the most part how foolish, arrogant, prideful and rebellious I was. When I think of all the money I wasted on cigarettes, drugs and alcohol and so many other things I thought I had to have, it is shameful. When I think about the time I spent in bars and riotous living, it makes me sad.

For the first 30 or more years I was a basket case. Did I ever do any good things? Yes, but the bad things in my life far outweighed the good things. My way of thinking was totally messed up. I just couldn’t understand how young people understood getting a good education would benefit them in the long run. I hated school and wanted nothing to do with it whatsoever. When I went to work I hated that to. My mind was consumed with partying and all the things that went along with that scene. It seems to me now that I was born abnormal.

As a child I was sick much of the time and had many fears and they lasted into my adult years also. As a kid I heard many negative remarks that were well founded, after all, I was clumsy and not good at sports or anything that pertains to that type of thing. It seemed to me that I was born on the wrong side of the tracks.

As I grew older I would think about what it would have been like if I had been adopted. It seemed like my life was a constant struggle, maybe that is why I gravitated into the party scene just trying to escape reality. Now that I am an adult I have seen many others that have felt somewhat the same as I did. Their lives were a constant party and escaping reality scenario also.

Then many of us made the most important decision in our lives. We received the Lord Jesus and repented of our sins and were miraculously forgiven and started a new life, praise God! There are many of us in the church today, praise His name. The Lord has healed the years that the locusts have eaten up. At one point we never felt there was a purpose or plan for our lives and we never felt real love and acceptance, but the Lord has changed all that. He has turned what seemed to be a curse into a blessing, praise His name. Most of us know how far we have fallen and the muck and mire we wallowed in.

Paul said that he was the worst of sinners and most of us feel the same way. We experienced God’s love and forgiveness and His accepting of us at rebirth but that is not always true in the church. Sometimes we experience judgment and condemnation because of our past. What is needed is love, acceptance and encouragement. Yes some of us are still a little rough around the edges and may never recover from some of our past experiences but we need to grow in our Christian walk, but it won’t happen if all we feel is rejection. What we need is more people that will step out of their comfort zones and be encouragers and show love and acceptance.

Paul had this same problem when he was converted, traveling down the road to Damascus. When the disciples in Jerusalem heard about him they wanted nothing to do with him. They had heard the negative things about him and they were scared of him. If not for a man named Barnabas, I don’t know what might have happened to Paul. Barnabas accepted him and brought him to the apostles and spoke kind words on Paul’s behalf and encouraged them to accept him and they did. (By the way the name Barnabas means son of encouragement.)

Sometimes because some of us are so excited about what happened in our lives other Christians don’t understand and want to stay clear of us. Sometimes, maybe unintentionally, they throw water on our new faith because of the remarks they make. The Word says to, "Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." But sometimes we don’t do that so well.

I remember giving a testimony on being miraculously healed of asthma about 6 years ago and when I was getting ready to leave the church that night, a man from the church confronted me and said, "I had asthma worse than you ever did and now I have emphysema." He wasn’t a happy camper. I responded saying, "I’m sorry, I will pray for you." What happened to rejoicing with those who rejoice?

I have been very excited about my experiences with the Lord over the years and shared them quite often and still do after 30 some years. Believe me it hasn’t always been a bowl of cherries, sometimes it seems like the pits, but praise the Lord the great times sure outweigh the hard times.

I wrote this to encourage all of you that have been affected by these situations or circumstances to hang in there. Try to glimpse at people and gaze at the Lord. Seek out the Barnabas’ in the church, the one’s that love and accept everyone not just those in their own little groups that you can’t seem to break into. There are still sincere, loving Christians in the church, seek them out and let them help you grow in your Christian walk and don’t forget there are others like you that need your love and encouragement also, find them and help them. God bless you have a great day!