I ran across a few statistics this week that intrigued me.

According to the National Retail Federation, only 50% of those who receive gift cards for Christmas have used them by April of the following year.  Further, a 2019 survey found that 51% of consumers have unused gift cards, with an average value of $167.  And a 2020 study estimated that Americans have $3 billion in unused gift cards lying around the house!

Wow! 3 billion dollars. That’s a lot of untapped value.

Which got me thinking. I wonder how many gift cards the Benedicts have lying around?  So, I checked- Olive Garden, Amazon, Panera, September Farms, Yoders, Emma’s Popcorn, Sundance car wash… I counted 11 in total.  Now, to our defense, most of them have been used at least once and have a balance remaining, but even so, that’s a lot of potential value sitting unused in a desk drawer.

When you think about it, though, that’s probably not the only area of life where we aren’t getting our money’s worth.  What about that subscription magazine you toss in the trash every month, the streaming service you rarely use, your Costco membership, unlimited data plan or vacation timeshare?

Speaking of untapped value and underutilized resources… Did you know we can make the same mistake spiritually?  In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul writes, “As God’s co-workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.” What does that mean?

As believers, we’re all recipients of the most amazing gift we could ever receive- the grace of God. Through his unmerited favor, God has made abundant provision for us to defeat sin, live a victorious life and grow to become more like Jesus. As his children, we’ve been given his Word, granted his Spirit, and “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness… (2 Peter 1:3).” Like a gift card charged with a million bucks, we’ve been given all that we need to thrive through the manifold grace of God and the resurrection power of Jesus.  But it’s possible to hear the gospel message, receive the grace of God and even believe in it, without allowing it to truly transform our life. In other words, we can receive God’s grace without experiencing its full power and potential. The gift card sits in the drawer.  Its value remains untapped. As we neglect the grace of God, our life remains unchanged. Apparently, this was happening in the church at Corinth, so Paul urged them to fully engage. What a waste to receive the grace of God in vain!

Take a hard look at your life. Are you truly being transformed by the grace of God or are you stuck?   2 Corinthians 6:1 is a call to action for Christians to take their faith seriously and allow the grace of God to transform their lives. It’s a reminder that simply believing the gospel is not enough; one must also live in a way that’s consistent with that belief.

So, dig out those old gift cards and treat yourself!  Don’t let them go to waste.  You could use a nice evening out with your spouse… it’s already been paid for.  And similarly, having received the grace of God, let’s not neglect it.  It’s free too, but we can waste it. God wants to transform your life, renew your mind, and restore your heart.  Are you using his unlimited resources?  Does he have your “Yes”?

 Okay. Now that we’ve talked about those gift cards, let’s talk about that unused gym membership….