Sometimes I look back on some of the poor decisions I have made in the past and how some of the implications of those decisions still live on today, and I wonder how God can use my failures for my good.
If you are feeling that way today, allow me to remind you that God wastes nothing. In fact, the concept of waste did not come from Him.
Where does the idea of waste come from?
God created a world that recycles and repurposes every single thing. Everything that is used up and no longer useful for one function is repurposed for another. For example, humans and animals breathe in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide, which is waste to the body. However, that same carbon dioxide is essential to plant life.
When temperatures drop and a tree going into survival mode and sheds it leaves. The leaves are no longer useful for photosynthesis and become more of a liability during the winter to that tree. I talked about this in a previous article.
The shed leaves decay and enrich the soil, which in turn, benefits the same tree that shed the leaves.
A felled tree may no longer bear fruit or provide shelter for birds, but it can become firewood that provides heat.
Every living thing that dies goes into the ground and supports life in some form. That’s how God designed it. In His plan, nothing is wasted.
Waste is a manmade concept. People create waste; it has nothing to do with God. God is Creator – the creator of ALL things. And yet we take this concept we created ourselves and project it onto God.
So, what does that mean for us?
God will use every part of your story – even the ugliest parts of it – for your good. God doesn’t do waste.
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” – Jeremiah 18:1-4
I love this next part even more…
“Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.”- Jeremiah 18:5,6
On days like today, I hear God lovingly say to me:
“Can I not do with you, Vimbai, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Vimbai.”
It brings me comfort to know that God will make ALL things work together for my good. He’s doing the same for you, sis. You can trust Him.
Vimbai E. is a content marketer, ghostwriter, and the founder of The Weight She Carries. With hundreds of articles and stories publishing online, in print and for broadcast, her love of language and storytelling shines through every piece of writing that bears her name.