Damaged Goods

Damaged Goods

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might (all your strength, energy, ability and effort).”
Ecclesiastes 9:10

Walking through clearance centers at local furniture stores has always ended up disappointing for Nancy and I. We see the good discounts and love the prices but we just aren’t interested in buying a major piece of furniture that is already damaged. The store’s part is understandable; they’re just trying to get rid of stock that, for one reason or another, can’t be sold at full prices. Beautiful wooden end tables that have been scratched through carelessness, or exquisite cherry desks that have been dented from having been dropped or run into, you can always find them at greatly reduced prices.

My thoughts started to wander to something so ridiculous that I hope you won’t delete this after reading it: What if someone bought one of those damaged items, the lamp with the cracked glass in the stem or the ripped lampshade, a new pan that was dented, or, worse yet, sheets stained from something being spilled on them, and gave them for a shower or wedding gifts? What words would jump out at you about the person who did that? How would you describe their action? No doubt the words would be anything but flattering.

Unfortunately, the scenario is not all that irrelevant. In the book of Malachi, we see God’s people sacrificing animals to him that were blind, blemished, crippled and diseased. (Malachi 1:8). And to make matters worse, they expected God to accept them from their hands. They took animals that no one would buy for food in the marketplace because of their disease, and animals that were too crippled to graze in the field and ever grow to maturity, and offered them in sacrifice “to honor” the Lord of heaven and earth. That they were shocked when God rejected their offering only shows the spiritual state they had sunk to.

The challenge for you and I is to make sure that we are giving our very best in everything we put our hands to, both in natural areas and in spiritual areas, both relating to our homes, work and church, and to our relationship with the Lord and with others. Solomon wrote “whatever your hands find to do, whatever you do, do it well, do it with all your strength, effort and ability, do your best.” If we’re giving less than our best to the Lord and to others (and that includes our family and employers), then the ridiculous thought of giving those damaged goods as presents is not all that ridiculous. Let’s all be men and women who give our best in all we do!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church