God Wastes Nothing

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

My alma mater is what you consider a PWI, predominantly white institution, and located in southern Indiana, it had a great reputation for partying, but not for diversity.

Whenever I meet someone who attended the same school, the first thing we ask one another is “what dorm did you stay in?” because your dorm indicated quite a bit about your experience. For example, my dorm was unofficially known as the Jewish girl dorm while other dorms were known as the dorm where all the athletes stayed. This association spread to other groups and programs on campus. Everyone knew which program was for underserved communities or the students who were riding on their family name.

To combat this and create more cultural awareness, a program called CUE, CommUnity Educators, was created. I joined the program in my junior year and our job was to host cultural activities for the dorm we lived in to help the residents learn and experience other cultures.

Little did I know, God would have me doing this as a full-time job eighteen years later. But this time, for a global company and on a much larger scale with more purpose and impact.

God wastes nothing.

You might simply think, well, you’re passionate about this work so naturally, you would find yourself doing it. That’s when I would explain that I was a journalism major and marketing minor. At one point, I thought I was going to be a broadcast journalist. Instead, I developed a career in retail ranging from store management, communications, real estate operations, and marketing. I never, ever saw myself driving cultural education on this large of a scale.

I didn’t even know these positions existed when I was pursuing my Bachelor’s degree. I had no idea God had this elaborate journey planned to get me to this point. He was working behind the scenes this entire time.

I’ll say it again- God wastes nothing.

You may be a bit skeptical. Your situation may look very different from what you imagined, causing you to doubt that what you are facing now could ever be used for your good later. Therefore, let me give you a better example.

Starting in Genesis 37, we learn about a young man named Joseph who was deeply hated by his brothers because he was favored by their father. He shared his God-given dreams with his family about how his brothers were bowing down to him. The hatred only grew worse. Therefore, they plotted to kill him but ended up selling him into slavery instead. He was taken to Egypt where he worked for Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Potiphar’s wife was a hot momma (literally) and because Joseph denied her advances, she lied and claimed he tried to rape her. This got him thrown in prison. While in prison, he interpreted a dream for Pharaoh’s cupbearer. The interpretation proved correct and two years later, that same cupbearer recommended Joseph when Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his dream. That interpretation led to Joseph being second in command to Pharaoh and eventually saving the lives of his brothers and family during a severe famine.

Had Joseph not been sold to Egypt, he would have never ended up in Potiphar’s house or learned all about Egyptian customs and their language. He also would have never been wrongly accused of rape. Had he not been wrongly accused; he would have never made it to prison. Had he not been put into prison; he would have never had the chance to interpret the cupbearer’s dream. Had he never interpreted the dream; he would have never been called on to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. That final interpretation put him in a position of prestige and honor.

God. Wastes. Nothing.

I’m sure Joseph was discouraged at times in his journey and felt like God had abandoned him. Like you, I’m sure he was confused and wondered how being in a dark, difficult place could ever be for his good in any capacity. There may have been confusion, despair, and doubt. But it all worked for his good and God’s glory in the end. He realized that what his brothers meant for harm was actually God’s sovereign hand making it work for everyone’s good.

As you travel on your journey, recite the promise from Romans 8:28. And as you journey, I implore you to look for God in EVERYTHING. Some like to call the ease of which things fall in place serendipity or coincidence. No, my friend. God is in every detail of your life. He cares about everything concerning you.

The fact that you had that gut feeling to apply for that job, heard a podcast that talked about chasing after your dream job and your mentor happened to know the hiring manager is no coincidence. That is God working on your behalf.

When God is at work in our lives, everything thing has a purpose. He can move entire kingdoms on our behalf and brighten our outlook. You may be in an unfavorable place right now. But don’t grow weary in well-doing because, in due season, you will see the goodness of the Lord. Keep moving forward and watch Him work it all for your good, His glory.

Check out my YouTube video about this topic here.