Saturday I had a shopping list with a couple of nice electronic coupons to the tune of $10 off total. $5 of it had to be redeemed on Saturday. I was racing to avoid a thunderstorm and my shoulder and neck were hurting, so I rushed through my list. The line was slow so that when I got to check out, I was in a hurry to just get it done and get home. I was in the parking lot unloading my bags when I remembered the coupons. I forgot to log in and redeem them and now it was too late.
In order to redeem something you have to cash it in. It wasn’t the cashier’s fault or the people in line. I failed to cash in the gift I had been given. I lost out on a good deal because I got in a hurry and failed to follow through.
As Christians, we are redeemed by Christ. He followed through. He paid the full price so that we could have salvation for free. We merely have to receive the gift that He provided. We are redeemed if we will only take a moment to mindfully accept the gift and cash it in. It’s worth far more than $10 off in coupons. It is the gift of eternal life and a more abundant life while here on earth.
I am thankful I have been redeemed, especially knowing that I did nothing to deserve it. Christ did all the work, and I receive the benefits. It’s good sometimes to take a moment from the rush of this world to ponder the gift and be thankful for the power of redemption.