Free drink coupons from Southwest Airlines.
I appreciate Southwest thanking me for all my time sitting in their seats and flying with them but what was I going to do with those free drink coupons? I drink ice water.
As I was preparing to fly to Atlanta, I grabbed the drink tickets and thought I would just give them away. As I sat in my exit row (with lots of room) there was a gentlemen sitting right behind me. I decided he was the one I would offer the tickets to.
I gave them to him and explained I wouldn’t use them but would like for him to have them. He was very gracious but replied, “I’m sorry I don’t have anything to offer you in return.” It caught me off guard. Then I replied “there’s no need to give me anything. It’s just my gift to you. Just pay it forward.”
That’s the core of the story of Jesus dying on the cross for us. It’s really that simple. God gave us this free gift of salvation. We are excited to have it but sometimes feel guilty for accepting it and having nothing of value to give back. We think we’re not good enough to get something of such significance for free. And we’re not but that’s why it’s such an awesome gift. We don’t deserve it but we get it anyway.
There is nothing we have to give back to equal in payment what God did for us by sending us His son to die for all the horrible things we have done in our lives, but He did it and expects nothing in return except to live a life for Him.
We’ll screw it up that’s for sure, but the good news is that we get to try again – everyday. Please accept this free gift from God. You can’t repay Him but you can pay it forward by telling others about it and telling them where to get their free gift.
Here’s to a life of freedom in Christ!
