Lost

Remember the hit TV series “LOST”? I think I saw maybe 20 minutes of the opening show and then switched off.

Loads of friends, well maybe a couple of them, were hooked. Frankly it was was “I” that was lost.

I just didn’t see it. The hype. The weirdness.

Millions loved it. I didn’t.

Maybe another time we could talk about Monty Python, Gladiator, Snatch or A Knights Tale.
But this is not my point or my theme in this blog.

I want to talk about the word LOST. What does it mean to you.? Its a funny word isn’t it?
A lot of people come to Whitianga and the Coromandel to get “lost”.

When my wife says I look a little lost I know she actually means “vacant”. You know “lights on but nobody home”, “Away with the fairies”. Or when someone in my house has “lost” their cellphone then 5 seconds later we hear “don’t worry I’ve found it”. Hmmmm lost.

My son Toby and I went hunting for deer last week in an area Ive never been before. A few of the lovely ladies in my life were actually genuinely concerned for us and hoped and prayed and reminded me numerous times not to get lost. More Toby not getting lost I would say, or more correctly, me losing him. Sweet really. Come on – men are the ones that read maps remember!

Look at the things we “lose”.

In our house Helen and I lose our marbles. But we generally find them again. Under the sofa or in the vacuum cleaner bag.

Kids lose their virginity.
People lose perspective.
Hands up which of us would swap our life for someone in Haiti or Uganda or Fukushima? Exactly!

But its no fun being lost. And so many seem to be. And its not just the poor that are.
A number of friends of mine are what many would call privileged or lucky. I don’t think they’re lucky – I think they have just worked hard. But there is something in each of their lives that has a common factor. Dissatisfaction. Its like, in their driven nature, that they are trying to grasp something that just isn’t attainable. Like trying to grab water.

Working hard, having goals and being driven is great. Solomon said in Proverbs 14:23 “all hard work brings a profit and mere talk leads to poverty”.

Prosperity is often mocked by the “have nots”. Not always but often. But when is “enough” actually “enough”? All this “keeping up with the Joneses”.

The world would probably be a better place if we just killed the flippin Joneses.

Take a look at the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:
There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’
So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Why did a rich boy leave his privileged life? I think he was lost before he even left. But did his Dad care that he lost all his money?

Nope. Not one bit. He knew what was of value. His boy!

This parable Jesus gave was written as an example of Gods love for us.
In this searching world, of so many lost, God is saying “come home to me”. He loves us so much. He doesn’t care what we’ve done since we’ve been away from Him.

But you might be thinking “John you don’t know what I have done. Its so bad”

I don’t need to know and God doesn’t care. Honestly, all He cares about is YOU. He’s waiting at the gate for your return and I promise he will run out to meet you too.
Oh and by the way, you don’t have to wait until you’ve lost it all too. Nows good.

If any of this helps or you would like help, please email me or come along to C3 Church in Cooks Beach or Whitianga.

If you are not from the Whitianga area then lets find a vibrant church near you with people that care and can help.