NO WAY TO AVOID PAYING TAXES

NO WAY TO AVOID PAYING TAXES

It’s TAX DAY in the USA.  On or before April 15^th, Americans must file their federal income tax returns.  Perhaps it’s an odd nomenclature for this day, considering the fact that so many will not be receiving any RETURNS at all, which means they will be writing a check to Uncle Sam to make up the difference between what they have already paid in and the full amount of taxes due.

I overheard a somewhat strange statement the other day.  While waiting for my coffee order at Duncan Doughnuts, a gentleman just in front of me said, “I’m sick of paying these ridiculous taxes, and I’m seriously thinking about quitting my job so they won’t keep bleeding me dry like this!  That’s it.  I’ll quit and they’ll never get one dime out of me again!”

His emotional outburst was rather naïve, for at least two reasons.  Firstly, I might pose a question and offer some advice to my ‘coffee-mate’ (please pardon the pun) that goes something like this: “Why would you cut off your nose to spite your face?  In the end, Uncle Sam will not miss your relatively modest ‘contribution,’ but you would suffer significantly due to a loss of income.  Secondly, you will end up paying some sort of tax anyway if you ever plan to purchase anything, such as clothing (state tax) or a car (both federal tax and municipal tax in the state of Connecticut)!”

Bottom-line: There’s just no way to avoid paying taxes.

Methinks it is precisely the same reality in the spiritual realm.  We all love God’s gift of free-will, but it carries with it a life-or-death decision.  We can either pay God now, or pay God later.  Moses’ successor, Joshua, issued a spiritual ultimatum to the descendants of Abraham when they made the foolhardy choice to embrace idol worship after their arrival in the Promised Land: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Does not the same choice confront each of us every single day?

If I fail to pay my ‘spiritual taxes’ to God now, i.e. if I do not honor Him, worship Him and obey Him during my lifetime, I will be left to my own self-centered devices on Judgment Day, when “every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess” that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. (Romans 14:11) I don’t know about you, but I must make the uncompromising decision to follow Him in the here and now. 

All of us should pay close attention to the sobering admonition that God shared with Joshua on the day that he assumed leadership of His people.  Its net message is that it payS to personally surrender and render life-long service to HIM.  “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

I shall never regret writing my personal ‘check’ to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He will never overtax us and the ‘returns’ will be eternal and enormous.  In fact, “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which GOD has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:9)

My friend, go ahead and pay your taxes.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!