Wasted Time

I was just listening to a podcast entitled “How to Waste Your Time with God.” An interesting title, I know, but it caught my eye and I just had to hear what this British minister had to say on the subject. As he was ministering, I was encouraged. His main point: be wasteful in the things of God. Whoa, Chels, where ya goin with this stuff? It’s going through your head and you know it! It’s ok, it was my response at first to what he was saying as well. But as he continued to speak, I began to see the incredible truth. God is calling us to waste ourselves on Him. He wants us to waste our time just being with Him, to pour out lavishly on Him the way that He has so graciously poured out on us.

Much of my time here in the Philippines is spent learning. Learning in God’s presence, in trainings, from mentors that are being placed in my life so that I can use what I have learned to minister to the broken. So far, the lesson I always walk away with is that the Holy Spirit does it all, I just need to listen and obey. I want to give to the women in our care, but out of what reservoir? These times “wasted” in training, in God’s presence, in the presence of mentors and friends are storing up a reservoir that I can then pour into the beautiful girls I call sisters. Much of my time spent with the girls is spent just “hanging out.” I am usually helping them with homework, chatting with them, laughing with them. Some people would say that is a waste of time. Jesus had three years to turn the world upside down and change everything and what did He spend most of His time doing? He spent most of His time just “hanging out” with twelve random dudes He met on the road. He spent time going fishing with them and walking around with them. He went to parties and had dinner with friends regularly. He spent great amounts of time “wasted” just being with His Father. I want to waste my time helping broken women with their homework and sitting on the couch with them. It’s in those wasted times that God shows up and changes everything.

When we waste our time, God shows up. The weeks I have wasted in seeking training for inner healing have brought me freedom and a new relationship with God. The weeks I have wasted just “hanging out” with my sisters have provided levels of trust that lead to healing and restoration. I want to spend my life like Jesus spent His: wasted. I want to waste my time being with Jesus, pouring that extravagant alabaster jar on His feet.