[There is] desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it. Proverbs 21:20 (NKJV)
Wastage is associated with foolishness. Wisdom saves and conserves.
We should not waste a resource just because it is in abundance.
A great part of God’s purpose for all of us is to use the resources of earth to serve God and one another.
Genesis 1:28 (AMPC) And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth. Therefore, wastage is dishonoring God and disregarding man.
Wastage precedes want, starvation, and degradation.
In the parable of the prodigal son after he wasted his possessions in reckless living there came a severe famine in the land and he began starving-see Luke 15:13, 14
He ended up feeding pigs and desiring the pods the pigs ate. That’s how low he depreciated. Walking in wisdom helps us to save and conserve and thus avoid wastage.
Wisdom realizes that to everything there’s a season and therefore gathers and puts in store during the abundance of harvest.
We avoid wastage by honoring God and serving people with the resources entrusted to us.
Jesus told us that whoever does not gather with Him scatters or wastes. Matthew 12:30.
The highest and best way of avoiding wastage is using any resource, whether life, relationship, time, ability, gift, talent, property, money to preach the Gospel for the Salvation of men and women.