In our world it is easy to feel lost in the crowd, pulled into the mainstream, fighting against the current to no avail. We may spend our days among the multitude, all the while feeling completely alone, or become too wrapped up in our schedule to see the significance of each passing moment.
Does this feeling of insignificance ever spill into relationships in your life, whether it is romantic, a friendship, or in your faith?
There have been times where I feel distant from God. Knowing he was there, but not sure why he felt so far away. It’s as if I have wandered off and can’t find my way back, and the more I try to fight it, the more exhausted and lost I feel.
A sermon I heard recently challenged all this.
My pastor said we are all either lost or saved.
At first I felt defensive, thinking, “those are two extremes, how could I fit into just one?”
I knew I had accepted God into my life but still felt so far from him, so was I lost or saved?
He then compared us to a dollar bill and a toothpick. Both serve a purpose, but if dropped, which one would you go looking for?
If someone asked you what happened to your toothpick you may respond, “I misplaced it.” with little concern for finding it.
On the other hand, if asked where you dollar was, you may be more alarmed saying, “I lost it!” and begin the search.
Being “lost” may seem negative, but it isn’t. Both labels of lost and saved carry value in them. If you are lost, it means you are missed, and have a level of importance and value to the one searching for you. Just because you can’t be found at that moment doesn’t diminish your value.
Unlike the toothpick, God does not misplace us, brush it off and move on. When we are far from Him and feel lost, we should rest in knowing He is on the search.
In Luke 15, the Pharasies critisize Jesus for welcoming and eating with sinners, assuming he would turn them away. Instead Jesus responds with three parables to depict the value of all people and the love He has for each of us.
First, is the parable of the lost sheep. Like we often do, the sheep wander off and become lost, whether by accident or in rebellion. Either way, God remains our shepherd and will willingly leave the 99 to find the one that is lost. Once found, He throws a party, rejoicing in the return of his sheep to his flock.
He is not satisfied with 99 sheep, because He knows the importance of having all 100. Losing even one is significant enough to go into the darkness and find them.
The next parable is the one of the lost coin. A woman had ten coins, representing all her life savings; but one was lost. She turned the house upside down searching for this coin. Not because it was her favorite, but because her ten were not of the same value without it. Yes, the coin was lost, but that didn’t decrease it’s value, it only decrease its purpose.
When we are lost from God, we have the same value, but we lose our potential in life without Him. We try to determine our next step independently and end up feeling like we have no purpose. In these moments we must turn to God to direct our path. We must remember God never sees us as less valuable, no matter what we have done or how long we have been away from Him.
The third parable is of the lost son. He desired more for his life and thought he knew best, so taking his inheritance early he lived a lavish lifestyle. Once the money ran out, he realized who really loved him. Returning to his father he didn’t even expect to be given a job as a servant, and yet he was welcomed with open arms, receiving love and forgiveness with no judgement.
Jesus told these parables to depict God’s unconditional, relentless love for His children. There is nothing we can do, no distance we can run, that will make Him give up. We need to stop preparing ourselves to before God. Only He can completely wipe away your past; taking time to “better” yourself before approaching God is a waste of time. He takes you as you are, forgiving you for your past and for sins you will commit in the future.
So how will you answer the question, are you lost or saved?
Do you feel a distance between God, or feel like you are working on yourself before developing a relationship with Him?
God is waiting, He knows and loves every part of us and wants to say “yes” to it all.
He is in for the long haul and will never leave you once you choose to say “yes” in return.
You may be lost, but never equate that to being invaluable. You are loved by a good good Father who is always in search of his children.
