Many years ago, author Stephen Covey created an illustration of “emotional bank accounts” to describe the interactions that affect relationships. We make deposits in others’ accounts when we do things like sincerely forgive, keep commitments, attend to little things, and show personal integrity. In the same way, we make withdrawals whenever we break that person’s trust, and intentionally or unintentionally hurt them.
Just like we have emotional bank accounts with people, we have a spiritual bank account with God. And little by little, over time, we all get “in the red.” We sin, we fall short of God’s standard, we mess up our records.
But on Easter, Jesus made a deposit into our accounts. He paid it all, He laid down the biggest payment the world has ever seen. And he didn’t even ask for us to pay it back. All He asks is for us to admit we messed up, ask Him to show us the way from now on, and to let others know that their accounts have been reconciled too.
Are you still in the red? Are you trying to clear your debt by working as if it all depends on you? You won’t see it on a commercial, but you can come to church this Easter and hear how to be forgiven of it once and for all.
Because of Easter, we can all be back in the black.