Wasted

E p h e s i a n s 5 : 1 1 

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. (NLT)

When it comes to working with cattle, I’ve learned that some cows are easy to get along with no matter what happens. They don’t get excited or snorty, they just go with the flow. But, on the other hand, I’ve also been around cattle that are easy-going until you put pressure on them. For instance, there are certain cows that usually leave you alone and don’t try anything stupid as long as you leave them alone out in the pasture. But the moment you try to gather them or push them in a direction they don’t want to go, they change into crazy winches. I’ve seen cows that are gone as soon as they see the trailer. Or they are looking for a place to escape the moment they step into the corral and you shut the gate. They may try jumping the fence, running you down, or just get so worked up that they fall down and refuse to get up.

We had a red Hereford like this that was respectfully named Reba (get it . . . Reba McEntire has red hair . . . red Hereford). Anyway, Reba was a great cow when it came to raising a big, healthy calf. But the moment you attempted to gather her or sort her out of the herd, she turned crazy. I can’t tell you how many times we roped her and dragged her into the trailer. Or how many times, once we got her in the corral, she would try and jump out or hurt someone. She went crazy when you pressured her. Although this could be dangerous, if I am being honest, I sometimes enjoyed the excitement and challenge of trying to outsmart her. I just enjoy a good challenge every now and then. I like winning battles that seem impossible. To me, that’s what makes life exciting!

The same can be said when it comes to our battle against evil. See, the devil is a lot like Reba. As long as you aren’t a threat to him, he’ll generally leave you alone. But the moment you decide to live out your faith, the fight is on. For example, the moment you start reading your Bible consistently is the moment you face a trial or temptation. Or the moment you start sharing your faith with your friends or expose a lie that they are tempted to believe is usually the moment you face persecution or discouragement. Unfortunately, after we experience his attacks a few times, many of us second-guess living for Jesus. We tend to want to shrink back and not stand out. We keep to ourselves and try to just keep our head down and do life. Why? Because no sane person enjoys being attacked or beat up. We want life to be fun, not filled with battles and hardships. Don’t get me wrong, it can suck to do what’s unpopular or counter-cultural, but we have to remember that this is what it means to love and serve Jesus.

Jesus actually promises that we will face bad stuff when we live for Him. In John 16:33 He says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (NLT). Notice He didn’t say, “You might have trials,” but, “you will have trials.” While this doesn’t sound fun, what we must realize is that the easy, comfortable, no-threat-to-the-enemy way of life is really a wasted life. 

A life that doesn’t leave a legacy of battles that we fought and won, a life that never enters the arena but stays in the stands isn’t really a life worth living. We’ve been called to fight the good fight, to take ground for Jesus, to fight for the souls of man. We’ve been called to live a life on the offense, taking back what the devil hijacks, not just living in comfort and ease. Christ has asked us to enter the dark places of this world and shine bright for Him. Is it easy? Heck no! But is worth it? Always! When we live in such a way that causes the devil to feel threatened or scared, we can go to bed at night, no matter what circumstances we’re in, knowing that we are making a difference. So, don’t waste your life not living for Christ because you’re afraid of the devil’s attack. Know that a life lived for Christ is always worth the fight, and you have the greatest warrior fighting with you—His name is Jesus.

C H E W  O N  T H I S 

Are you a threat to the devil? Or are you just living a comfortable life because you don’t want anything bad to happen to you or your family? It’s time to count the cost and get back into the fight. Commit today to becoming a threat to the devil by living out your faith and making an eternal difference in this world.

P R A Y E R 

Lord, I want to make a difference for you. Help me not to fear the attack of the devil but to live for you no matter the cost. Strengthen me for the fight and give me victory over my enemy, the devil.