The misuse and squandering of resources. God condemns the waste of resources which he provides, especially spiritual provisions such as grace and opportunity. Sometimes extravagance in God's service is mistaken for waste.
Waste of material resources
Squandering is folly
Luke 15:13–16 See also Proverbs 21:20, Proverbs 29:3; Luke 16:1; James 5:1–6; 1 Peter 4:3–5
After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.
As a consequence of yielding to temptation
Proverbs 29:3 See also Proverbs 5:7–14
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Jesus Christ avoids waste
And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Spiritual resources should not be wasted
God's grace
Jonah 2:8 See also John 12:35–36; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Galatians 4:9–11; Hebrews 10:26–29, Hebrews 10:35; 2 Peter 2:21
Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
God-given abilities
Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 19:12–27
Opportunities for service
Ephesians 5:16 See also John 9:4; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 4:5
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Spiritual teaching
Matthew 7:6 Spiritual teaching is wasted if inappropriate to the spiritual capacity of the hearers. See also Proverbs 9:7, Proverbs 23:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14
Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Examples of wasted lives
Esau
Esau lived for the pleasures of the moment and threw away his spiritual inheritance: Genesis 25:29–34; Hebrews 12:16
Samson
Judges 16:18–21 Though Samson did retrieve something at the end of his life, his spiritual gift of supernatural strength was largely wasted through his indulgence in sexual immorality.
King Saul
1 Samuel 16:21; 2 Samuel 1:17–27 Through natural strength and spiritual gifts Saul had the prospect of establishing a successful royal dynasty. The future was lost through disobedience and the end of his reign was wasted through jealousy.
Judas Iscariot
Matthew 27:3–5 Judas had the best of opportunities--three years with Jesus Christ. This was thrown away in a moment of personal ambition.
Devotion to God is not waste
Matthew 26:6–13 parallel Mark 14:3–9 See also John 12:1–8
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Waste as the destruction of life and land
The frailty of human beings
Job 13:28 See also Job 33:21; Psalm 32:3; Lamentations 4:9; 2 Corinthians 4:16
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.[’’]
Waste as a result of the judgment of God
Jeremiah 34:22 See also Leviticus 26:31–33, Leviticus 26:39; Numbers 5:21; Deuteronomy 28:22, Deuteronomy 29:23, Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 106:43; Isaiah 24:1, Isaiah 24:3; Ezekiel 4:17; Hosea 5:9
Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.