There is a Time to Stop Preaching To Yourself

Mark Lauterbach:

Imagine that you have just received a phone call from one of the new billionaires who is giving away his fortune. They have selected you, randomly, to receive 50 million dollars. That amount will be transferred to your account the next day. Sure enough, it happens. You are super rich.

Not only that, but the billionaire said you may spend it freely because he stands ready, with a phone call, and without any questions, to send you more.

What would it look like to honor the gift? Do I just need to buy an app for my phone that sends me regular reminders of the balance? No, that is crazy. If all I do is check the balance in the account a couple times a day, then I have missed the point. I honor the gift by acting upon it. When I write the check for the Masserati and it clears, then I will have a new awareness that I am super rich.

I think, for some, preaching the Gospel to ourselves is checking the account balance of the riches of grace. Period. But that is not enough. I think when we slip from believing the Gospel is true, one of the best antidotes is to write a check on Gospel riches.

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