Story One:
It was a blustery Sunday. Not a typical spring evening at all. We were in the middle of our painting project and had finished the first coat of paint throughout the entire area. We felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment and we were hungry.
“Who’s hungry? Janet are you getting hungry?” I asked a friend who had come to assist my husband and me in this kitchen project.
“Sure! I could eat.” She responded. Michael placed an order for our favorite things we often get and some of her desired choices as well.
As we unpacked the bags of take out chinese food, my husband set each carton on the counter and we noticed that one of the dishes we ordered was missing. We both looked inside the bag as if expecting it to suddenly appear.
“Oh bummer, they forgot to include my order of mei fun! I think I heard you ask for that dish.” I affirmed him. “Look on the receipt it’s stapled to the bags. Did we pay for it?” I inquired.
“Yep! It’s listed right here!” He insisted. “I’ll call back and have them send the delivery guy back out. I’m sure they’re swamped on this snowy night.”
You should get what you pay for, right?
Story Two:
I was privileged to stay in a beautiful friend’s condo in Door County, Wisconsin for a girlfriend weekend away. We laughed, ate, read, slept, watched a movie, led each other in a time in God’s word and of course, shopped. We hit some of our favorite boutiques, the candy store, the local consignment shop and a few other highlights along the way. When we had seen enough or had spent our cash we looked at each other and said, “Ya ready to go home? Are you finished shopping?”
As we returned to the condo, we parked in the driveway and unloaded our treasures. I immediately glanced in each of the shopping bags to see which ones belonged to whom.
“Okay, this one has the towels in it. That’s mine. Here is Jan’s jelly she purchased at the first place we stopped.” I pulled a few bags closer from the back of her SUV and peered inside. “Who bought this?” I asked pulling out the contents for a brief inspection and identification.
“Oh, that one is mine!” Jeanne acknowledged her treasure she had nearly forgotten.
It took just a few more minutes to sort all the bags then we gladly marched back into our cozy “home” for a brief rest before dinner.
As I pulled out the bags I remember thinking. You would never take a bag that belonged to someone else. It doesn’t belong to me. I didn’t pay for it. You should get what you pay for, right?
SO Jesus should get what he paid for, right?
HE paid for all our sin, all our disease and all things that weigh us down and burden our lives. He even invites us to come to him. and give him our burdens and He will swap our burden for his. HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT!
Do you carry a load of regret, mistakes, sins, shame, condemnation, anxiety, guilt or sickness? Don’t carry these things around with you. Jesus paid for it and he wants it back. It’s not for you to carry. HE paid for it … It belongs to him now and he should get what he paid for. Give it back. Don’t take it, it’s not yours to own or lug around. Just the way we wanted our full Chinese take-out order and I wouldn’t take a shopping bag from the trunk if it wasn’t mine.
I love the old hymn, “Jesus paid it ALL.”
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
The modern hymn says:
“Oh, praise the one who paid my debt, who raised this life up from the dead.
I’m quite certain Jesus should get his full reward for the price He paid. So, if He purchased my life and yours, we should give him all of it and stop carrying around anything he already purchased. Our role is to trust Him and respond with gratitude. I believe Jesus should get his full reward for what he paid for.
- Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (emphasis mine)
- I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2:20-21 (emphasis mine)
rachel inouye 