No Wasted Life

Snow! That’s right the ground was literally white today, not with snow but with ice. The neighborhood children went out to throw “snow”balls, make “snow”angels, and attempt to build a “snow”man. It was an exciting occasion for all. Our neighbor said that after eight years in Cuernavaca this was the first time he had seen anything like it.

Speaking of our neighbors we had tamales with them on Ground Hogs Day, but discovered that making them together is part of the event. Thankfully they rescued us by having us over to their house. The process went something like this: take two wet corn husks, spread in corn meal mixture, add sauce mixture, fold, put in huge kettle and steam for 3 to 5 hours. We returned around 10:00 pm for a delightful tamale meal. I think it’s safe to say that we all ate far more than we needed.

I was reminded this week while reading John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life why we are here building bridges to neighbors, giving away Bibles and adapting to a new world. “Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every good pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain…When we embrace with joy the cost of following Christ, his worth will shine in the world. The cost itself will become a means to making Christ look great.”

“Whenever something is of tremendous value to you, and you cherish its beauty or power or uniqueness, you want to draw others’ attention to it and waken in them the same joy. That is why Paul’s all-consuming goal in life was for Christ to be magnified. Christ was of infinite value to Paul, and so Paul longed for others to see and savor this value. That is what it means to magnify Christ- to show the magnitude of his value…Advancing the cause of Christ is worth your life.”

“No, you do not have to be a missionary to admire and advance the great purposes of God to be known and praised and enjoyed among all peoples. But if you want to be most fully satisfied with God as he triumphs in the history of redemption, you can’t go on with business as usual – doing your work, making your money, giving your tithe, eating, sleeping, playing, and going to church.”