Wasted Treasure: Don’t Waste Your Life!

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Training Believers in Benin, West Africa.

By Tom Shanklin

Several months ago, while I was in prayer, I had a very peculiar vision. It was not an open vision, just an impression on my heart. I saw a treasure chest full of valuables. But the odd thing was that the bottom of a toilet was attached to one side of the treasure chest.

The obvious inference is that the treasure was being flushed and wasted. It is was intended to be used for good purposes, but it was going down the drain. The interpretation that came to me immediately is that the treasure chest is the Church and the valuables are the people. The toilet indicates that the special treasure (God’s people), and the treasure that is within them through the new birth is being wasted. Notice these scriptures:

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5-6 NKJV

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

Through this, the Lord spoke to me, “People who have potential are becoming useless. I want them to be a part of my team, but their lives are being wasted by carnal pursuits, wrong objectives, perverse plans. This is the great deficiency of my body. They have left my plan and followed another.”

As a result of this vision, a shared a message called “Wasted Treasure” at two different ministers conferences. In this message, I encouraged the pastors and other ministers from the 5-fold ministry to recognize the value of the people they are ministering to and to encourage and train them for the work of the ministry.

Recently, I was about to preach in a local church, and the Lord brought this vision to mind once again. As I began to ponder this message, the Lord gave me a word of exhortation for the people of God—“Don’t Waste Your Life!”

When we receive the Lord, we become a “special treasure” unto Him. Not only that, God Himself takes up residence in our lives, and “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of God and not of us.” As I began to think about the message of “wasted treasure,” I began to ask, “How is treasure wasted?” Here are some thoughts:

1. Treasure is wasted when it is undervalued.

When someone dies and their house is cleared out, someone will go through all the items and dispose of them. If they are of value, they may be sold at an auction or a sale, but if the items are of little or no value, they will be thrown in a dumpster. In some cases, an item may be of great value, but if the value is not recognized, the treasure may end up in the dump.

This often is what happens to God’s people. No one recognizes their value. They are undervalued by ministers or other Christians, and therefore they do not value themselves. However, I believe that the Lord is saying to each of us, “Don’t allow someone else to determine your value. Look into my Word and find out the value that I place on you. Then walk in the light of my valuation.”

Now the Lord’s valuation of you may be very different than man’s valuation. As the scripture says, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV) And when you are born again, God looks at your heart through the eyes of His Son, who died and gave himself for you. You are precious in His sight. Here are several ways that you are valuable:

First, you are valuable in creation. The Bible says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27, NKJV) You are valuable because you were created in God’s image. This value applies to every man and woman and boy and girl on the planet You are special because God has made you to be a spirit-being, like him. This is the uniqueness of mankind, and you have the capacity to know God.

Second, you are valuable in redemption. The way that you determine the value of anything is to find out how much someone is willing to pay for it. God was willing to pay a great price for you. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Think of it. God loved you so much that He was willing to let His own son suffer and die on Calvary for you. Rejoice forevermore!

Third, you are valuable because of the treasure within. Sometimes we forget that as Christians, we carry the glory of God within. We are portable temples of the Lord, and everywhere we go, we carry God to the people around us.

2. Treasure is wasted when it used for the wrong purpose.

It would be wrong to take a valuable piece of china and use it to dig in the dirt. That is the wrong purpose, and it’s a waste. In the same way, many Christians are wasting their lives on trivial pursuits and meaningless enterprizes. It may be a worldly endeavor, or it may even be a religious activity, but if it has no real value to the Kingdom, you are wasting your life.

The Bible says that you have been “called according to His purpose.” God is purposeful, and He has a specific purpose for your life. You need to take a sincere look at your life and ask, “Am I fulfilling God’s purpose, or am I just playing a religious game?” You may not be called to be a preacher behind a pulpit, but somehow you are called to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission, to reach others for Jesus. Whether you are a business person, a factory worker, a homemaker, or a pastor, you need to see how your life fits into the grand plan of God to reach the world for Him.

Jesus knew His purpose. He said, “…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” His purpose was clear in His mind, and everything He did aligned with that. Likewise, we need to align ourselves with the plans and purposes of God for our lives.

3. Treasure is wasted when it is corrupted.

Treasure may have great value, but if it is allowed to be corrupted or polluted, it loses its value and usefulness. So it is with members of the body of Christ who allow the pollutions of the world to corrupt their vessels.

It may be sexual immorality, pornography, crude speech, drunkenness, anger, bitterness, or fear, but if you don’t keep yourself pure, you will become useless in the work of the Lord. You are called to be “… a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21 NKJV

You may have started right with the Lord. You may have had a genuine experience with Him, but if you do not present your body as a living sacrifice, you can end up losing your place with God and wasting your life. You need to repent and get back on track. Thankfully, the Lord will forgive you when you confess your sins and restore you to fellowship with Him.

So I want to encourage you. Give your life to the Lord and allow Him to shape you for His purposes? Take some time today to pull aside and ask the Lord what steps you should take now to begin to fulfill your destiny. It may be something you need to stop doing or something you need to start doing. It may be an attitude adjustment you need to make or a decision about being faithful to serve in a local church, or your time in the Word and prayer. Let the Lord speak to you today, and begin to follow his plan for your life step by step.