When I taught second grade, we always did a unit on ecology. We talked about how we need to live life with less waste and the way to do that is by reducing what we used, reusing what we could and recycling as much as possible. For some reason I started thinking about that process: reduce/ reuse/recycle.
God implements the reduce/reuse/recycle process with us constantly. First, He calls us to reduce ourselves in our own eyes [Ephesians 4:2; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6]. Pride is never a positive attribute. It is the root of all evil [Proverbs 16:18; Proverbs 29:23].
Second, God wastes nothing. He uses our past to bless our future. He works everything together for good [Romans 8:28].
And finally, He is in the recycling business. When something is recycled, it typically undergoes some form of heat to burn away the impurities and bring it back to its natural state [Malachi 3:3]. Then it can be made into something useful and beautiful.
We have to go through this process with the Lord. We have to endure a little heat as the Lord strips away the impurities in our life, but then He takes us like clay in His hands and creates a work of art with our lives [Isaiah 64:8].
So, the next time you see the symbol for recycling, think of how the Lord can take anything or anyone and create a masterpiece. You’re living proof.