How do you show your receipt? On the rare occasions I actually go purchasing (not shopping) at a big box store, on my way out I let whichever little helper I have with me flash the old fashioned paper receipt to the smiling door checker. Maybe you’re one of the cool kids. You shop and show with your smart phone. However you get’r’done, you must show your receipt on the way out. If you don’t there’s liable to be some additional stress, conflict and undesirable consequences in your life.
DISCLAIMER: [I am not speaking from personal experience or anything. At least not about Mr. Walton’s store.]
I was told a long time ago in Seminary that I had a long receipt of theological forerunners I needed to acknowledge. For instance, the ease by which I confess that Christ is fully God and fully man for us and our salvation was paid for dearly by hundreds of years of labor in the text by the church for unity in orthodoxy. It was important for me as a student to realize that I had not figured out all these vitally important doctrines on my own. Knowledge puffeth up. But learning should humble us. Rather than strutting around like I’m a smart somebody, I needed to show my very long and costly receipt.
How do you show your receipt? There are dozens of people on my receipt whom God has used to bless my life, to help me along toward Christ. When compliments come my way I feel uncomfortable unless I show my receipt. It’s a long one, so I can’t go through the whole list. Sometimes I say, “God has used a lot of patient folks to help me along the way.” Sometimes its just, “God is good to bless us isn’t He?” Every time I don’t flash that receipt, it feels like I just snuck out of the store. Snucked? Sneaked? It feels like my cart is full of loot and I’m on the run. When we don’t show our receipt, pride builds. If there’s anything that will bring about additional stress, conflict and undesirable consequences in our lives, it’s pride. Let’s make a practice of showing our receipt to each other, so that Christ will be praised for the grace He has given us according to the measure of His gift. “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” –1 Corinthians 4:7.
