Our Debts Are Paid!

Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. —Colossians 2:13, 14, NLT

A death in the family left me broken emotionally and financially.

I amassed so many expenses in that season of loss, and then my house needed repairs. I borrowed some money to fix the house from my sister Nathalie, and I promised to repay her monthly. Midway through, my sister called to say that I had paid enough and I needed to stop the monthly payments. I would not hear of it.

This was a tough time for all of us, and I refused to make her loss my gain, so I continued to pay her each month. Two months later, after I had sent another payment, my sister called for a heart-to-heart talk. She asked why I persisted in paying a debt she had released me from. I explained that because she had just purchased a home, in addition to our recent loss, it was the wrong time for me to keep her money.

My sister told me that it was because she had bought the home that she was able to forgive the debt. She reminded me of the many years she had lived in my home while going to school and then working to save for her own house.

She was forgiving the debt because of what I had already done for her.

She thanked me and insisted, “You will pay no more!” I was humbled by her gratitude and generosity! I felt a surge of pride for the young woman I had raised as a youngster. Then my thoughts turned to the Savior and all that He has offered me.

How many times have I thought I needed to do more to earn God’s gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and victory? Sometimes we may think God has done too much for us.

We may feel because He died, the least we can do is bear our burdens and shoulder our sorrows on our own. We may behave as though we should do more to merit God’s sacrifice, but today, I believe God is inviting us to accept all that He has for us—every promise, every gift. It is because of His death that we do not have to pay.

All we owe is deep gratitude to a Savior who paid the price for our sins so we can have the prize of His salvation. May this be a source of peace for you—and a reason to praise God’s name!

Rose Joseph Thomas