What's In Your Wallet?

You know how a random thought will pop into your head, and if you’re not at the top of your mental game it will keep rounding the bases until you boot it off the field? Well, that was the case with me early this morning.

Most everyone is familiar with Capital One’s credit card commercials. We’ve seen scores of them in various versions for twenty-some years. “They pitch their cards as the definitive “one-and-done” daily driver”, with claims that theirs has the best rewards and highest interest rates. Wallets should contain only one card. Capital One. [i]

I normally tune these marketing campaigns out, but today when their iconic slogan, “What’s in your wallet?” kept circling the bases of my mind, I wondered if the Lord might be saying something. And the strange thing about it is, once I realized it was Him, I understood what He was getting at.

“What’s in your spiritual wallet, Debbie? Consumers rely on credit cards to access their financial resources. What are you relying on? Am I your Source for all things? Or is there another offering you better benefits?” [ii]

Admittedly, there have been a few instances lately when I allowed a rogue resource into my spiritual wallet and it usurped my faith. That twinge of guilt (false guilt, because the blood of Jesus cleanses), spurred my decision making a time or two. Fear of falling short and fear of missing out on what God is doing triggered me to act when it should have been love that compelled me. [iii]

Hey, you deal with your rogue resources. I’ll deal with mine. I’m just keeping it real. Our blatant wrongdoings are far behind us. They are under Jesus’ cleansing blood. God is after something else. He’s delving deep—conscience deep—to expose lingering motivators that keep us doing good deeds for the wrong reasons. If left unchecked, these little foxes will spoil the vine. [iv]He wants to remove them and confirm our faith.

Guilt and shame manage to find their way into wallets. They use accusations to push people to prove their significance and worth, or they smother them in disgrace and regret. Anxiety incites people to jump the gun. The prophet Samuel was late for a war. The troops became restless. Pressure was on for King Saul. So, he took matters into his own hands. Things did not end well. [v]

Pride and jealousy. Bitterness and anger, (isn’t there such a thing as righteous anger? And do we discern which is which?) These are driving forces. All works powered by them will backfire. Look at Lucifer. How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! [vi]

Preaching the Gospel is definitely a good work, but motivating factors behind sharing it vary. Paul was imprisoned again for spreading the Good News. His brethren (imprisoned for the same) derived fresh confidence in the Lord because of my chains and are much more bold to speak and publish fearlessly the Word of God. Others preached Christ with impure motives, hoping to make Paul’s bondage more bitter. Both motivators served to advance the Gospel. [vii]

In that final day when God tallies up all our works (by the way, some looked really good!) how many will He throw in the “Dead Works” pile because we drew from rogue resources instead of His Spirit? He’s not asking for works to stop, because Paul worked harder than all the other apostles. Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [viii] Dead works stem from wrong motives. It takes concentrated effort to cease from doing those wrongly motivated labors and enter into God’s rest of faith. [ix] 

Perhaps I’m getting way off subject here, but shouldn’t we want to further implement the blood of Christ that purifies our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances so we can serve the ever-living God? We need the spirit and power of Elijah (as in John the Baptist days) to once again prepare the way for the Lord’s second coming. Low places in our hearts need to be filled, mountains and hills leveled. Crooked places need straightening up. Who can discern his errors? Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression [x] 

If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, well then, spiritually speaking, “What’s in your wallet?” [xi] There’s room for only One. Jesus.

[i] AI Overview – Capital One

[ii] 1 Corinthians 8:6; Psalm 103:1–4

[iii] 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

[iv] Song of Solomon 2:15

[v] 1 Samuel 13:5–14

[vi] Ephesians 4:26; Isaiah 14:12–21

[vii] Philippians 1:12–18

[viii] 1 Corinthians 15:10; James 2:17

[ix] Hebrews 4:10

[x] Hebrews 9:14; Luke 3:3–5; Malachi 4:5–6; Psalm 19:12–13

[xi] Romans 8:11