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A Transfer Payment

The Christian life takes effort, and that’s a good thing; making an effort is the best way to know you’re for real. Be glad that blocking out time for prayer and Bible reading is inconvenient. This gives you an opportunity to prove that you really do love God, for we only make time for the people we care about. Rejoice for the opportunity to love your enemy, forgive the friend who wounded you, keep your word when it hurts, swallow the gossip you are dying to share, call in a favor to help someone else, and look away from the barely covered model on your television or computer screen. The burn you feel means you’re paying a price, which is something a hypocrite would never do. What has your faith in Christ cost you? Gladly pay it, and keep the receipt. It’s proof that you’re for real.

MICHAEL WITTMER
Wittmer's point is an important one. The "cost of dying to self" is not just for God. It is for us as well. When we experience the cost it should reassure us that we are living for him and not following the gravy train. The cost of Christian living is therefore what economists would call an internal "transfer payment". It imputes costs and benefits instantaneously.

Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2013
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