Read
I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
Acts 20:33-34
Reflect
One of my all-time favorite game shows is “The Price Is Right.” The contestants are always interesting, Bob Barker was (and Drew Carey is) an engaging host and it’s always fun and challenging to try and out-guess the people on the show. My sister-in-law was actually on the show a few years ago and reached the Showcase Showdown and barely missed winning the whole thing.
If you watch more than even one episode of “The Price Is Right,” you’ll quickly notice one thing — everything has a price. Crazy, right? Especially considering the name of the show? That’s the way it is with the entire world — nothing is truly free. If you get some groceries later today, I’m sure they’re going to insist that you actually pay for them. Whether you rent or own the place where you live, your landlord or bank is going to insist that you make the monthly rent or mortgage payment. And the government never fails to withhold amounts from your paychecks for Social Security, Medicare and income tax.
I said nothing is truly free, but there are a few things that are. God’s love, grace and mercy is free. Forgiveness costs us nothing. And if you’ve been to a church lately I’m sure they didn’t charge you admission. If you need counseling or prayer from a minister, they never take a credit card number before meeting with you, and many of them will make visits to homes or hospitals to meet with the sick. You might give to a church because you want to or because you feel that the Lord has led you to, but it’s never a requirement.
A funeral home always charges for services rendered, but churches are often not paid at the time of death. Many churches operate Sunday schools that offer quality Christian education. But there’s absolutely no cost or obligation to pay. There are no membership fees, annual dues and no one will ever know what you contribute except for the Lord. The Lord and His church aren’t asking for your money. Jesus just wants you to believe in Him, to trust Him and to give Him your heart.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
