Checks are on the way out.
Surveys show that 46% of Americans did not write a single check last year. And almost half of Americans have never written even one. In an age of Venmo, Zelle, and debit cards, why would they?
But when my wife and I got married, there was no such thing as electronic banking. We used checks. Lots of checks. Which we’ve stored for far too long.
In a courageous act of spring cleaning, my wife gathered up hundreds of canceled checks. Some of these date back to the 2000s, the 90s — even a few from the late 80s!
We took those checks and burned them in a big ol’ fire. Among them were checks we wrote out to churches, ministries, and missionaries. I watched as the edges of those documents curled in the heat, burst into flame, and vaporized into a sobering cloud of smoke.
On the one hand, we were reminded of the missionaries we’d loved. On the other hand, I wondered if we couldn’t have given more. Most momentous of all was the thought that those years—each representing opportunities for eternal investment—were gone.
The time for giving is now. But our ability to do so will come to an end—either when our money runs out, or life runs out. Ultimately, Paul assures us, “Each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13).
Is there an upside to all of this? Yes! Consider that the physical evidence of those humble ministry gifts we gave years ago is now gone. But in the ledger of Almighty God, the record stands. For now. For all eternity.
Hebrews 6:10 promises, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people.”
Every wallet tells a story. What’s yours saying about you?
