Once upon a time my family went on a cruise. We chose one of the better rooms, with a sea view, and paid a premium for it. While we enjoyed the cruise tremendously, we ate only at the crowded buffet hall, which was free, although we would have liked to have tried out some of the restaurants, particularly the Japanese one with the scrumptious-looking sushi and sashimi. We also skimped on some of the other paid activities on board.

It was only on the last day, as I was checking out, that the checkout staff expressed surprise that we had not spent our coupons. Coupons? What coupons? You have three hundred dollars worth of credit, sir. It's part of your cruise entitlement.

I slapped my hand to my forehead, and quickly ran off to buy some teddy bears and other gifts.

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson, but no. When we visited Tokyo a few years later, we woke up very early every morning to take an hour-and-a-half-long train ride to Disneyland, and endured the same train ride back every night, arriving back at the hotel completely pooped at about 11.30 pm. It was only at the end of three such long days that I noticed the hotel had this little plaque declaring it was a "Friends of Disney Resort", which basically means they offered FREE BUS RIDES TO AND FROM DISNEYLAND DAILY!

Our Christian life is sometimes like that. We have been given many promises by God, and much spiritual power accessible through prayer, but we live like misers on earth, not realising and enjoying our spiritual entitlements and privileges as Christians. We have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in us, yet ignore Him. We have access to the throne of grace, yet remain wallowing in guilt and self-condemnation. We have the promise that if we ask anything in His name, we will have it – yet we hesitate to ask. We have been given a free ride to heaven, yet we shun it or ignore it, and try so hard on our own to earn it by our works.

Friends – spend your coupons before you reach heaven!