牧者心聲 Pastor's Message
11/08/2009 Rebates
I know some people who loathe rebates with a passion. Me, I
don’t mind rebates. And do you know what’s sad? Forgetting to send in a
rebate. (That’s why some don’t like rebates.) Although, I don’t know what
that’s like, as I always make sure to send them in. It’s money that’s
otherwise thrown away. Then again, after buying my Logitech G9 Laser
mouse, I feel rather stupid for forgetting to include the UPC barcode in
my rebate. Graciously (because rebate centers typically don’t), Logitech
sent in a postcard letting me know that I had forgotten to include the
barcode. After mentally kicking myself a few times, I immediately sent in
the rebate the next day. Then, just a few days ago, I received a check to
the tune of $30. Can you imagine tossing away $30, just like that? In
other words, I got a second chance, and I redeemed myself.
I’ve heard of other who had bought hard drives and such. But
they’re not as lucky. They forget to send in the rebate till a day after the
postmark date and lose out on $110, maybe even more. What…? Why?
How? Do we like throwing away money? Or are we too busy? What gives?
Sadly, surveys have shown that the percentage of people who don’t turn
in their rebates ranges from 50-70% to as high as 90%.
Others take it very seriously. I’ve even been told of a different
way to send in your rebate. On top of sending in all the required forms
and making photocopies for yourself, you also put in a second copy of
everything in the rebate envelope. In this way, the rebate center knows
that you also have a copy for yourself and to let them know that you
mean business. Wow! I did that once or twice, but then I got lazy and
stopped. I wasn’t that dedicated. Still, the rebates came in.
What’s great fun is that the rebate check comes when you least
expect it because you’ve forgotten all about it. In some ways, it feels even
better than getting a present at Christmas time because you’re not even
expecting the rebate. And this is what being a Christian is all about. But
I’m not writing about one’s faith. We’re beyond that.
Each of us is given a gift by God. And it may not even be one gift
but multiple gifts. Like the rebate, the requirement is that we need to
take the time and effort to send it in. If we forget to use our gifts, just as
one forgets to send the rebate, then we will have nothing to celebrate
about for we did not bear any fruits. This is what the speaker last week
was talking about. Are you going to take the rebate form, fill it out and
send it in? Or are you too lazy to do it? Or have you forgotten all about
the rebate form or maybe even lost it?
Take the time right now to ask God to reveal to you what your
gift is and how to use it. Who knows? The “rebate” you receive may be a
lot more than money!
In OUR Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Benjamin Chung
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