Nothing Is Wasted: How God Redeems What Is Broken

by Joseph Bentz

In a world that can feel overwhelming, it is easy to see loss as the overriding theme of our existence. From the stress of finances to the pain of aging, we see decay all around us. We see the corrupt nature of a fallen world.

Despite the seeming chaos, God’s loving song of redemption echoes through every fiber of creation. Sometimes we hear the melody loud and clear, but more often it is like the refrain of a musical score that is background to a film—present but so subtle we may be unaware of it.

In Nothing Is Wasted, Joseph Bentz explores how God clues us in to the big picture of redemption and eternity amid the most difficult and unlovely things in our lives. He helps us remember how a faithful and all-powerful God desires to transform our pain into beauty.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2016

About the author

Joseph Bentz's books span a variety of genres, including a fantasy novel, three contemporary novels, four non-fiction books on Christian living, and one book/DVD package. Bentz is a frequent speaker at writers conferences, churches, and other venues. He is a professor of English at Azusa Pacific University. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in American literature from Purdue University and a B.A. in English from Olivet Nazarene University. He lives with his wife and two children in Southern California. More information on his writing and speaking is available at his website, www.josephbentz.com. His blog, Life of the Mind and Soul, also appears at that site.

Reviews

[Diana Glyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the hardest issues that Christians face is the problem of pain: not just on a global scale, but in the ordinary and everyday struggles we all face. How do we make sense of the seemingly endless frustration, loss, and tears? Joseph Bentz has written a gentle and compassionate book that shows how God can work in the midst of bewildering circumstances. Never preachy, not simplistic, avoiding pat answers and platitudes, "Nothing is Wasted" tells story after story, one example after another, each one a welcome glimpse of hope for those of us who sometimes wonder where God is when we hurt.

[Mary Langer · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book, written by English professor Joseph Bentz, would be a mainly Christian book talking about signs and symbols all around us that remind us of redemption. Nothing is Wasted is that, but so much more, and will appeal to those interested in literature and to writers. To get the full effect of the book and to read it thoughtfully, I recommend the free download of the Study Guide with its questions and action steps whether you are reading alone or in a group. Redeeming love is the theme of this book, and how it "thrusts itself through chaos and pain," and even "smelly, unpleasant things" like dirt, manure, and scarabs (junior highers and adolescents will love some of the examples!). There are, of course, stories of individuals who had wake-up calls and gained good from terrible and even not-so-terrible events. But the best part of the book is when Bentz discusses stories, including fairy tales and classics, and storytellers, even atheist authors. He discusses Cinderella and what an absurd tale it is, yet why we love it. He talks about the personal sufferings of John Updike, Eugene O'Neil, and C.S. Lewis and how they didn't all become Christians but how even atheism is not wasted. In other words, "reality bends toward redemption." Not only Jonah in the Old Testament, but even the story of Jack and the Beanstalk has redemptive patterns. This book will make the reader look at stories in the news, movies, and novels, and perhaps one's own life, in a whole new way.

[Mitch Teemley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A positive, but far from naïve, consideration of the ageless "why does God allow suffering?" question. Nothing is Wasted begins with inspiring stories (my least favorite section, but the part some will prefer), but then goes on to plumb deeper depths. Effectively employing reasoning, metaphor, and examples, Bentz argues compellingly that our world is streaked-through with veins of redemption. The stories that live in our collective conscience, the lives of our greatest artists, the patterns that occur in nature--all that we experience, including our own little epics--are part of a greater saga of redemption. Nothing is Wasted starts like a "feel good" book, standard Christian bookstore fare, but ends as a much more memorable "think good" book. Recommended.

[Dave Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often in life we get wrapped up in trying to make sense of the senseless, to understand if there is any redemptive value in the tragedies we face. In Joseph Bentz’s book, Nothing is Wasted, he tackles these issues with a refreshing honesty that seems to be missing from other books on the subject. As an English professor, he employs analogies with great skill and ease, making his case about our lives through what he sees in the natural world. Let me tell you, I’m not going to look at butterflies or manure in the same way again.

But beyond the clever word picture, it’s the stories that drive this book. Sure, the Biblical examples are good (I really appreciated his fresh spin on the story of Jonah), but it is the tales of woe from his own life, and particularly those of others, that really give this book its heart. Bentz is an excellent writer, but he’s smart enough to know when the stories of others are what is needed to drive the narrative forward.

If you are struggling with your faith amidst the pain life has thrown you, I can think of no other volume, other than C.S. Lewis’s classic treatise on the matter, that speaks to the issue so well.