You would think that winning the lottery would be a dream come true for most people.

Can you imagine the change that would happen in your life if your bank account suddenly grew by millions of dollars? You would probably look forward to long vacations, nice cars, and a life of relative ease.

But if you study the lives of lottery winners, you discover the sad reality that many of them flounder within ten years of winning a large sum of money. They receive the gift, but they don't know how to use it. Their prize ends up being useless.

It is easy to view the gift of salvation like a tremendous inheritance or a sudden infusion of wealth. When we put our trust in Christ, our sins are forgiven and our eternal future is secure. Without doing anything to earn it, followers of Jesus receive a truly great gift. It is indescribably amazing (see 2 Corinthians 9:15)!

Today's verse invites us to put the gift of Christ's grace to good use. With God working in us, we are urged to "work out" our salvation.

Salvation is not something we receive and then take for granted. If we are to experience the joy and benefit that God has in store for us, the gift of salvation should be not only received but also used well.