Pay Your Taxes

Can you believe it’s almost the end of another year? Reality seems to set in when we find our tax bill in the mailbox. The tax statement is a funny thing. For two weeks everyone you meet asks, “Have you gotten your taxes yet?” When you answer, “No”, the inquirer adds, “I wonder what’s taking those people so long to get them in the mail?” In reality, the tax bill is never mailed out until the last full week of October and when it arrives, that same person who couldn’t wait to get their taxes in the mail confronts with, “Have you gotten your taxes yet? Those people are crazy! What do they do with all that money? They’re probably going to give themselves another raise! I think we need to vote them all out and start over!” Ninety-nine chances out of one hundred says that person doesn’t even know who “those people” are, let alone ever find the time to go vote on election day. This is also a great time of the year for procrastinators. The season has begun which involves so many activities it’s easy to set aside what needs to be accomplished to do what we want to do. This is the beginning of the season when it’s so easy to over indulge in self and forget to tend to obligations such as paying the utilities and the rent. The slogan for a repo company featured on TV is, “It ain’t no joke, if you don’t pay that note”. Don’t be like the politicians. If you’ve entered into an agreement to pay for services rendered, don’t spend that money somewhere else. The bill is still going to come due and you’re still going to have to pay
A couple of “good ol’ boys” decided to go on a REAL fishing trip. They rented all the equipment; the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car and even a cabin in the woods next to a fishing stream. They spent a fortune! The first day out, they didn’t catch anything. The same thing happened on the second day and on the third. It continued like that until, finally, on their last day of vacation, one of them caught a fish. As they were driving home, they were really depressed. One guy turned to the other and said, “Do you realize that this one lousy fish cost us fifteen hundred dollars?” The other guy said, “Wow! It’s a good thing we didn’t catch any more!”
At the weekly meeting of a weight loss class, the instructor held up an apple and a candy bar. “What are the attributes of this apple” she asked, “and how do they relate to our diet?” “Low calories” and “Lots of fiber” were among the answers. She then detailed what was wrong with eating the candy and concluded, “Apples are not only more healthful but also less expensive. Do you know I paid seventy-five cents for this candy bar?” The group stared at the forbidden treat as she held it aloft. From the back of the room a small voice could be heard saying, “I’ll give you a dollar for it.”
[Romans 13] It seems there are times in life when we just keep hitting the snooze button on things we need to be doing but just don’t want to get started doing them. God’s Word teaches us to pay our debts. (v7) “…Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” God’s Word also teaches us that we need to stop procrastinating about the things we know we need to start doing. (v11) “…The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Stop worrying about the living comforts of the world or gratifying the sinful nature (v14) “…Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”. Start today.