Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - The Cost of Putting Off the Repairs - #5111

Monday, August 14, 2006

The recent storm that roared through our area got so intense that a tree as big around as a car came crashing down on a house in our community. It went all the way through the roof and the house. We're talking major damage here. It didn't take long for the insurance adjuster to come by and give the owner a check to get the damage repaired. She called a contractor to come for an estimate, and when he asked if she wanted him to do the work, she told him she wanted another estimate. He warned her that there was more rain in the forecast, but she was determined. She had a similar conversation with a second contractor. Then the big rain came - and, of course, poured into her house. That's when she called a third and fourth contractor; both of whom gave her much higher estimates than the first two. Finally, she called in that first contractor who gave her a new estimate as high as the others. He said, "Ma'am, you waited so long that the rain came and did a lot more damage. So getting things fixed is going to cost a lot more."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cost of Putting Off the Repairs."

It's amazing how we have a tendency to do that - to put off repairs that need to be made in our marriage, with our child, with our parents, in a broken relationship, in dealing with a problem that we don't want to confront. We keep thinking about how much it's going to cost to try to fix things. And we put it off - a little bit longer.

Problem: the longer you wait to repair what's broken, the more expensive it's going to be. This is the easiest and cheapest it's ever going to be to make it right. One day it's going to get so bad it's unlivable that way. But the price of repairs may be more expensive than you ever dreamed.

In the Bible, God is constantly urging us to get things fixed now. He says about our anger, for example, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (Ephesians 4:27 ). Translation: fix it now. Putting it off will only make it more expensive to fix.

Jesus told the story of the son who insisted on getting his inheritance while his father was still alive. Then he went to another country and squandered it all on partying. Did he face the damage and start repairs at that point? No. Postpone the repairs. Too hard to go home and admit you're wrong. Did he give in when his friends all abandoned him? No. When the only job he could find was feeding some farmer's pigs? He still postponed the repairs. Finally, as he was reduced to eating pig slop, he said, "I will go to my father." And that's when he finally got a real relationship with his father - when he least deserved the love and forgiveness his father gave him.

We all need to come home to God that same way, because the most broken thing in our life is our relationship with God. The Bible says we're "far away" from God because our sin has cut us off from the one Person we can't afford to live without - or die without. Our word for today from the Word of God in Isaiah 55:6 warns us to "seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." One day you won't be able to find Him. If you feel His moving in your heart today, you still can find Him - for today, that is.

Postponing the Christ who died for your sin gets more and more expensive; more and more days wasted without the love and the meaning you were made for. Until one day the days run out, and you will have to pay forever the bill for your sin that Jesus already paid for you on the cross because you put it off one time too many. Which is why I urge you - why I pray for you - that you won't postpone repairing your relationship with God one more day.

Talk to Him. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm Yours. No more putting it off. You died for me. You've got me." Getting this settled brings the greatest peace in the world. If you'd be interested in some information I've put together on just how to get started with Jesus, I'd urge you to visit our website today. It's yoursforlife.net. Or you can call for my free booklet about it. It's called "Yours For Life." Just call us toll free at 877-741-1200.

If Jesus is working in your heart, please don't tell Him "later" again. The price you're risking is a price you don't want to pay.