What A Waste!
Greetings Sisters in Christ!
I pray you are standing strong and have centered yourself on the Lord this morning when you woke up.
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
I wasted too many days (years) of my life, living it for myself and now that I am in Christ, I try not to waste any more days and instead I strive to honor and glorify Him in each one He gives me.
The post title here is 'What a Waste!' I know I've been talking about money and food lately but being a keeper at home, it's appropriate and it's something that brother Jim said I should write about...waste. The culture we are in (here in America anyway) is one of waste because it's a self serving culture of feeding the flesh and not thinking past the moment of self satisfaction.
While we are out here on the road, sharing the gospel on the streets, we also go to what we call the marketplace to go fishing. (You can read about what I mean by Marketplace here: https://titus24sisters.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-marketplace-and-fishing.html
One thing we notice while we're out is the waste of money and food. We will be working online in a marketplace and see a family order full meals for the adults and children and it's not uncommon for the adults to toss out large amounts of food into the trash when they're done. Instead of taking it home for them to eat for another meal, they throw it away! Do the math, those meals are expensive and can easily be $4-$10 per person. And it's not like a special treat to go out to eat anymore, it's commonplace. The drive-thru's are packed all day and night and the lobby's are flooded during each meal time.
It's rare when we eat fast food or at any restaurant for the matter because we find the price to be well above what we consider spending on a meal. There are times I find a coupon that offers the opportunity for a decent meal for very little and we don't have a problem with that once in a while. I'm also not saying it's sinful to go out to eat but we always encourage people to be very frugal with their money especially if you have debt.
Waste is not something I, or many others in my generation, grew up doing. In fact, I grew up in a very poor family. Most of the so called 'poor' in America today don't even know what poor is. Poor is when you all sleep on old pads on the floor in the living room around the wood stove, in a house that has no insulation and boarded up windows, electricity that gets cut off, an outhouse and hand pumping water. Wearing your brother's old socks and shoes as hand me downs and the only reason you got them is because their feet grew out of them. Using bags inside your winter boots because they have holes and the bag keeps your socks dry and your mittens are actually old holey socks, layered over each other. There was no such thing as being 'picky' at the dinner table and I never even knew what a 'snack' was while growing up. When you have a hungry family, a truly hungry family, you sit and eat your food quickly (regardless if you like it or not) because if you're not careful, a brother will be sneaking it off your plate because there's only one helping per person. Our family was very poor for many years and I'm thankful for that because it helped me to have great appreciation for the small things.
Years ago I used to work in a food pantry and thrift store that also offered housing / utility assistance and back then, there was a real need for truly poor people. People who were working hard to make ends meet but couldn't quite make it and needed a bit of temporary help. (Temporary was the word but today it's been switched with 'expected'.) When I was born again I looked into a food pantry by our homestead to see if it was something I could volunteer and support. I asked the women running it if they taught these people how to cook simple foods from scratch and why they handed out instant foods. I encouraged them to look into bulk foods which last longer and feed more people for much less than all the instant, individual foods they were handing out but nobody wanted anything to do with that. They had instant satisfaction in offering food to people but really didn't care about teaching them how to be more frugal. I then watched those people load up their nice cars with all their food, light up a smoke and get on their smart phone. Needless to say I was a new babe in Christ at the time, thinking I MUST be out doing something for the poor but what we quickly found out (and see all over) there aren't many 'TRULY' poor people in America anymore. Most of the 'poor' we see today have insulated homes, heat, air, running water, cell phones, decent running cars, televisions and computers, eat fast food and get money to buy all sorts of food of which they spend a lot on junk food. (Many of them smoke and drink.)
The homeless themselves tell us that they often qualify for housing vouchers to pay for their rent, they get food assistance money, they frequent the food pantries and soup kitchens. We've seen homeless people waste food that has been brought to them and oftentimes they waste their food and money on their pets. The 'so called' poor people waste food and money today!
(Even so, we still offer food -along with the gospel- to anyone who looks like they might need it, we don't prejudge them just by appearance.)
We also see a lot of people wasting time. Time is a precious gift because we are only going to have so much of it here on this earth. We continuously see people sitting around, wasting time talking about nonsense of the world. One day their last breath will leave them and if they have not spent their time seeking the things of God, they will spend their eternity in hell. That's why we are out here, to warn people of their impending doom if they don't repent and the hope that is offered for those who do. See the gospel link at the end of the post.
We live in an unthankful, self centered world and we believers are to be the light of truth, shining blameless before a crooked and perverse generation.
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Philippians 2:15
What we have been given in resources from our Father are to be very carefully used as He is watching. (The world is watching you also, are you a good witness?) I'm sharing this for you to do some self reflection in your own home, how you deal with your 'left over' food, your excess money after paying for your 'needs', how you spend your time etc...
Praise God that each day His mercies are new (Ecclesiastes 3) and we can try each day to grow in our holiness and obedience.
Have a joyous day and be sure to redeem not only your time (Ephesians 5:16) but your money as well.
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
I pray you are standing strong and have centered yourself on the Lord this morning when you woke up.
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
I wasted too many days (years) of my life, living it for myself and now that I am in Christ, I try not to waste any more days and instead I strive to honor and glorify Him in each one He gives me.
The post title here is 'What a Waste!' I know I've been talking about money and food lately but being a keeper at home, it's appropriate and it's something that brother Jim said I should write about...waste. The culture we are in (here in America anyway) is one of waste because it's a self serving culture of feeding the flesh and not thinking past the moment of self satisfaction.
While we are out here on the road, sharing the gospel on the streets, we also go to what we call the marketplace to go fishing. (You can read about what I mean by Marketplace here: https://titus24sisters.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-marketplace-and-fishing.html
One thing we notice while we're out is the waste of money and food. We will be working online in a marketplace and see a family order full meals for the adults and children and it's not uncommon for the adults to toss out large amounts of food into the trash when they're done. Instead of taking it home for them to eat for another meal, they throw it away! Do the math, those meals are expensive and can easily be $4-$10 per person. And it's not like a special treat to go out to eat anymore, it's commonplace. The drive-thru's are packed all day and night and the lobby's are flooded during each meal time.
It's rare when we eat fast food or at any restaurant for the matter because we find the price to be well above what we consider spending on a meal. There are times I find a coupon that offers the opportunity for a decent meal for very little and we don't have a problem with that once in a while. I'm also not saying it's sinful to go out to eat but we always encourage people to be very frugal with their money especially if you have debt.
Waste is not something I, or many others in my generation, grew up doing. In fact, I grew up in a very poor family. Most of the so called 'poor' in America today don't even know what poor is. Poor is when you all sleep on old pads on the floor in the living room around the wood stove, in a house that has no insulation and boarded up windows, electricity that gets cut off, an outhouse and hand pumping water. Wearing your brother's old socks and shoes as hand me downs and the only reason you got them is because their feet grew out of them. Using bags inside your winter boots because they have holes and the bag keeps your socks dry and your mittens are actually old holey socks, layered over each other. There was no such thing as being 'picky' at the dinner table and I never even knew what a 'snack' was while growing up. When you have a hungry family, a truly hungry family, you sit and eat your food quickly (regardless if you like it or not) because if you're not careful, a brother will be sneaking it off your plate because there's only one helping per person. Our family was very poor for many years and I'm thankful for that because it helped me to have great appreciation for the small things.
Years ago I used to work in a food pantry and thrift store that also offered housing / utility assistance and back then, there was a real need for truly poor people. People who were working hard to make ends meet but couldn't quite make it and needed a bit of temporary help. (Temporary was the word but today it's been switched with 'expected'.) When I was born again I looked into a food pantry by our homestead to see if it was something I could volunteer and support. I asked the women running it if they taught these people how to cook simple foods from scratch and why they handed out instant foods. I encouraged them to look into bulk foods which last longer and feed more people for much less than all the instant, individual foods they were handing out but nobody wanted anything to do with that. They had instant satisfaction in offering food to people but really didn't care about teaching them how to be more frugal. I then watched those people load up their nice cars with all their food, light up a smoke and get on their smart phone. Needless to say I was a new babe in Christ at the time, thinking I MUST be out doing something for the poor but what we quickly found out (and see all over) there aren't many 'TRULY' poor people in America anymore. Most of the 'poor' we see today have insulated homes, heat, air, running water, cell phones, decent running cars, televisions and computers, eat fast food and get money to buy all sorts of food of which they spend a lot on junk food. (Many of them smoke and drink.)
The homeless themselves tell us that they often qualify for housing vouchers to pay for their rent, they get food assistance money, they frequent the food pantries and soup kitchens. We've seen homeless people waste food that has been brought to them and oftentimes they waste their food and money on their pets. The 'so called' poor people waste food and money today!
(Even so, we still offer food -along with the gospel- to anyone who looks like they might need it, we don't prejudge them just by appearance.)
We also see a lot of people wasting time. Time is a precious gift because we are only going to have so much of it here on this earth. We continuously see people sitting around, wasting time talking about nonsense of the world. One day their last breath will leave them and if they have not spent their time seeking the things of God, they will spend their eternity in hell. That's why we are out here, to warn people of their impending doom if they don't repent and the hope that is offered for those who do. See the gospel link at the end of the post.
We live in an unthankful, self centered world and we believers are to be the light of truth, shining blameless before a crooked and perverse generation.
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Philippians 2:15
What we have been given in resources from our Father are to be very carefully used as He is watching. (The world is watching you also, are you a good witness?) I'm sharing this for you to do some self reflection in your own home, how you deal with your 'left over' food, your excess money after paying for your 'needs', how you spend your time etc...
Praise God that each day His mercies are new (Ecclesiastes 3) and we can try each day to grow in our holiness and obedience.
Have a joyous day and be sure to redeem not only your time (Ephesians 5:16) but your money as well.
Love in Christ,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...