If I gave you the phrase, “No deposit, no return,” some of us would immediately connect with that phrase while others may not. This phrase has its history in the bottling industry. Before plastic bottles and plastic containers became part of our lives, glass bottles were considered very valuable. Bottlers & grocery stores encouraged consumers to return the bottles when they were finished with the product and they would be given a small amount of money for what they returned.
When I worked at a grocery store while in high school and college, customers were given ten cents for every bottle that was returned. That may not seem like a lot of money, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s you could save money on your soft drink purchases. If you returned 8 bottles which were considered a carton, you would be paid $.80 which would cause your new purchase of a carton of 8 of your favorite soft drink to be $.80 less. Instead of paying the full amount of $3.00, you now would pay $2.20. All you had to do was keep up with your glass bottles and return them to receive the benefit. Returning the bottles was your deposit or contribution and you would be rewarded! Instead of saying “No deposit, no return,” you could then say, “Make a deposit, get a return.”
You see the spiritual application. In Galatians 6:7, Paul reminds us that God is not mocked—whatever we sow, we will reap. If we invest in good deeds, kindness, and faithfulness, we will reap a harvest of God’s blessings. But, it is more than that. This verse says: Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Paul’s reference to “reaping” is a reference to the blessings of eternal life (rather than to temporal blessings) that the believer will “reap” as the result of “sowing” his life to the Spirit.
If we invest in sin, we lose our life. If we redeem the time as God we have us to, we avoid the trappings of the world. Ephesians 5:16-18 says, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. We know wine controls the mind, ruins judgment and a sense of propriety, leading to debauchery, in contrast with this, being “filled with the Spirit” leads to self-control along with the other fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness” (Gal. 5:22–23). Making a deposit in our relationship with Christ does not ensure a perfect life, but a fulfilled one which leads to an eternal one! HOW WE SPEND OUR DAYS IS HOW SPEND OUR LIVES.
Consider the “deposits” you’ve been making lately? Are you sowing to the flesh and investing in the world? When we have our sins washed away through baptism, we understand forgiveness. When we walk with Christ, we understand restoration. Investing, making a deposit and giving our time to our relationship with Christ is not motivated by instant & earthly gratification, but rather a desire for an eternal destination. What returns are you getting on your investments
