A Lost Cause?

I overheard a song yesterday in a restaurant and commented to my friend, "Do you know what band that is?  Who is the artist?  It sounds like Beck."  Much to my surprise, my friend pulled out his mobile phone and fired up "Shazam," an app which in seconds was able to discern the song amid the chatter and noises of a crowded restaurant!  Will the modern conveniences of technology ever cease?  The song we heard above the background was "Lost Cause" by Beck.  Listening to the song made me feel good, but when I read the lyrics later it made me sad.  It is a tragic message that resonates in a fallen world.

The refrain goes, "Baby you're lost; baby you're lost; baby you're a lost cause.  I'm tired of fighting; I'm tired of fighting - fighting for a lost cause."  From a human perspective, we have all known people who needed help beyond themselves but have refused it.  It can be disheartening and even devastating when people are ensnared in addictions or behaviours that are killing them and it can feel like there is nothing we can do about it.  As Beck sings "Lost Cause," I can feel the despair in his voice from the depths of his soul.  It's like a person who invests everything in a relationship just to experience pain and betrayal and finally walks away, wounded and broken.

It is easy for people to look at other people like a "lost cause" not worth fighting for, but that is not how God views people.  Jesus Christ came and laid down His life to save lost sinners.  Nothing is too hard for Him!  Therefore there is no one on this planet who is a lost cause.  They may be fallen, deceitful, filled with hate and bitterness, and have committed great wickedness.  But Jesus is able to save to the utmost all who repent and trust in Him!  For the God who created the universe and all that exists, nothing is too hard - not even wayward, foolish, lost men.  People only seem lost causes when we have lost sight of God, His power, and love.  Even a little faith in God is enough to move mountains.

There are many causes in the world.  No person is a lost cause because Jesus not only has the power to find, but to save!