When we were staying in a nice hotel in Manila, it was very convenient to order room service. Though the prices were high, all I had to do was pick up the phone and delicious food would be delivered right to our room. Even when I got sick, a nurse came to my room to check on me and give me instructions on how to treat my symptoms. Other services were easy to request but came at a price. When Susan wanted to visit her cousin, she requested a car and driver because it was more secure than a taxi. Several times I wanted to make a phone call, and so charges were added to our bill. All of these services were expected in a nice hotel, but we eventually had to pay the bill. Fortunately, the bill was lower because of the labor costs in the Philippines.
While we were enjoying warm weather, good food, and spending time with our family in Manila my boss worked through the holiday in Beijing and dealt with the cold winter weather and pollution. We enjoyed our break from work, but she paid the bill for me being away. After I returned, my boss took a well-deserved vacation to Cambodia. That left me to support our mission, without her help. That was ok, because it was my turn to pay the bill for her absence.
Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman, the leader of a notorious Mexican drug cartel, enjoyed all the pleasures his ill-gotten wealth could buy. The money he made from the drug trade meant power and influence in a corrupt and poverty-stricken country. He was recently recaptured and sent back to the same prison he escaped from just six months before. Once again, he is paying the bill for his life of crime.
Rock star David Bowie passed away this week and by his own admission lived a wild life. He was quoted as saying, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise you it won’t be boring.” He died from cancer after 69 years of living on the edge. Most people would say he was successful and didn’t pay for his unrestrained lifestyle. He knew he was dying and had time to accept GOD’s offer to pay the bill for his sin or decide to pay it himself.
I don’t know which decision he made, but you have the same choice as long as you are alive. “For GOD so loved the world, He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him might not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Wayne Lance (2016) – That’s Good News to Share!