I recently read that a well-known restaurant chain reported $1.7 million in earnings for one year, from gift cards that were purchased but never used. The financial report referred to this as “gift card breakage.” That was amazing to me. Nearly two million dollars were given to the company for food – food never requested and never received. What a waste of money! But it was only money.
The free gift of God is tragically wasted, too, often enough. It can be wasted in more ways than one. Salvation and the forgiveness of sins, for example, are available to many who have never even heard the Good News. This is the motivation behind the Great Commission and the very purpose for the existence of the World Mission Prayer League.
Jesus is the only one capable of paying the price to defeat death and sin. And he has done so! But there are too many who have never heard this Good News. They are in remote parts of the world where information is limited – and in our own neighborhoods, as well, where information may be plentiful but misunderstanding is plentiful, too. We have a job to do! It is our job to get out the Good News wherever God has put us, through prayer and faithful obedience.
But God’s gifts involve more than eternal salvation. He also gives us the Holy Spirit and the power to lead godly lives. As we continue to live by the Spirit, God leads us into greater righteousness and prepares us to share the Good News with others. God through his Spirit makes us discerning and puts us in the way of opportunity. We see opportunities to pray for the lost and share the Good News. This is another gift from God that is too often wasted.
“Gift card breakage” is silly – a waste of money on the part of the consumer, through negligence or laziness. But the consequences are not so very bad. To be negligent or lazy with the gift of God, on the other hand, has tragic and eternal consequences. Jesus has paid the price already. It is now up to us to continue to draw closer to him, throwing off sin and allowing God to work through us. We must do this in order to bring the message of a salvation that has already been purchased to those who have never heard or understood it.
In August donations to missionary support funds paid for 44.1 percent of all support expenses; $39,779 was used from the General Fund to supplement missionary allowances and $47,508 was used from the Estate Fund to supplement benefit expenses for the month.
Thank you for your ongoing support!