Redemption and Gift Cards

I love gift cards. A gift card is like free money. Some people think that a gift card is a thoughtless gift, as if someone doesn't even know you well enough to buy you a good gift.

I'm pretty okay with that.

All you have to know is that I generally like the outdoors, music, or food and you can make me happy.

Where it gets bad is when someone doesn't even know me well enough to get me a decent gift card. Like the very nice people who got "my wife and I" a bed bath and beyond gift card. My wife is very thankful for the present you got her.

The idea of redemption is spoken of throughout scripture. Christians sing about it and preach about it, but I think it's one of those big words that remain vaguely defined for us. I think that because it was true for me for quite a while. So I put my college degree to use and did some biblical research.

I realized, to my dismay, that the word for "redemption" in the original language doesn't have some sort of crazy beautiful hidden meaning that can't be uncovered in english. (Pastors like it when there are cool hidden meanings cause it makes us sound smart.) It just means "redeem" or "ransom."

Like a gift card. A gift card is something that you redeem. Why? Because it has value. Like a coupon or a discount code. It has value, but that value is of no use until it is used for what it was designed for.

That is redemption. God looks at us and sees value. He sees something that is of great use, something that can do good. Something that is worth it. But He knows that it will never be of use until it is connected with what you were made for- Himself.

Sin has broken us, it has separated us from what we were made for. Until we are brought back to relationship with Christ we are like Wal Mart gift cards at Best Buy- useless.

But Christ redeems us and brings out the value that is locked inside us and unreachable. That value is the image of God himself- who we are made for.

Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b]6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

3 Reasons to Pray Boldly

Let me tell you a quick story. I've been a student ministry pastor for about a year now. When I began ministry I felt a distinct word from God that we needed to have a baptism service in about 6 months. We put it on the calendar and started preparing for the service. With the word about the service came the unshakable feeling that we needed to plan to Baptize 10 people, and we need to make that number known. Now 10 people may not seem like a bold number but for a smaller youth group in a highly churched culture 10 people is a big number. I was scared. Less scared and more concerned about my image really, because I knew that when we started proclaiming 10 people and only got 5 I was going to look dumb. You probably know where this story is going, but I'll tell you any way. Up until the week of the baptism we had about 6 people in line. We spent 6 months planning and advertising and got 6, and then the week of the service 3 more people added. I thought "9 is close enough. That's basically 10. Praise the Lord." The day of the Baptism our lead pastor stopped me at church and told me that one more person had called to sign up and we had 10 people.

Since that day God has been pushing me to approach him boldly, to ask him for greater things. The fact is that God is concerned with our tiny requests, but He is powerful for the bold requests. Most of us, myself very much included, ask God for things and then do everything we can to bail God out. We make sure that what we asked for either will happen or doesn't matter. After all the creator of the universe needs us to give him an excuse... I think God is calling his people, church leaders and church members, to start praying risky prayers.

1. We Have His Heart: Scripture is full of passages in which it becomes clear that God loves to do good for His people. He is our Father. If human, broken, messed up fathers can love giving good things to their kids how much more does the perfect God in whose image they were made love giving good gifts to his kids. We have his heart because his heart is for us. In Hebrews 4 we are instructed to approach the throne of grace with boldness because we have an intercessor, Jesus, who understands everything we need.
2. We Are Aligned With His Heart: God calls us to his mission in the world by his power through his love. Why in the world do we timidly pray about him accomplishing through us what He has already told us He desires to accomplish through us? It is not God's heart to give each follower a great retirement plan, but it is his heart for each follower to leave a significant impact on the people they can reach. Why do we nervously ask God for power to show His love? Why do we humbly ask to change our schools, workplaces, or families? That is God's heart and mission! He already wants to. Ask Him like you know the Almighty God wants to change your city.
3. He's Huge: He's God and he loves us more than we could ever understand. He has all resources at his disposal but we ask him for 200 bucks to pay the rent like it's going to drain his checkbook. Approach boldly because your God cares for you. He is growing you and teaching you. He desires your good. He doesn't usually answer exactly the way we thought He should, but He does answer.

Last thing- Boldness is not arrogance. It's not claiming what you think you've earned or deserve. It's reaching out to Jesus who died to prove to you just how dedicated he is to you. We need to start praying bold prayers to see the kingdom of heaven break into our lives and overtake our world.