We checked out of our hotel that morning and the total bill for our stay was supposed to be around $250.00. Instead, it was $486.00! Almost DOUBLE what we had been told it would be.

Upon looking at our receipt, we noticed that there were over $200.00 in charges for LOCAL PHONE CALLS! It seems that this particular hotel charges a $0.75 access fee every time you use their phone AND $0.10 per minute, even for LOCAL CALLS!

And since I used the Internet a lot for ministry and business, this ran up a very hefty phone bill…that we weren’t expecting!

No one told us there were charges for local calls. There was no notice on the telephone itself. No notices in the room, the lobby or at the desk. There wasn’t even any “fine print” on our registration papers.

We had NO IDEA that we would have to pay for these outrageous phone charges until we were handed the bill.

From then on, that’s the first question I started asking whenever I check into a hotel … EXACTLY how much is this going to cost me?

While this is the first time in all of my travels “on the road” that this has happened, it is certainly not the first time I have been blind-sided by HIDDEN CHARGES while walking the “narrow road”.

You see, Satan is the master of “hidden charges”. He is a super deceiver. He never tells you about the bill that he’s gonna hand you once you “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” – 1 Corinthians 6:20 give in to temptation!

Christian, you gotta be alert to overcome this deception. The Bible tells us “be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:7)

You gotta ask questions going in… “exactly how much is this going to cost me?”

* If I tell this little white lie … what’s it going to cost me?

* If I share this gossip … what’s it going to cost me?

* If I cheat … what’s it going to cost me?

* If I lose my temper … what’s it going to cost me?

* If I demand my own way … what’s it going to cost me?

If I disobey, just this once, when I think no one is looking, and it doesn’t seem like a big deal…what’s it going to cost me?

You see, when Satan welcomes you in with a friendly smile, he’ll never tell you about the final bill. He’ll never tell you about the “hidden charges” that are forthcoming. He’ll never tell you how high the price is that you’ll have to pay.

There are ALWAYS consequences to our sins. We may not see them. We may not think we’ll get caught. We may not think that anything could come from it. But, I assure you, there is more to pay than you ever thought there would be.

Christian, be alert today. The “hidden charges” of sin may not be clearly visible. They may not be posted on your room or on the phone or on any papers that you sign. But they are there, just the same.

As you travel “on the road” today, be careful. Stay close to Christ, your loving Shepherd. And when temptation comes around, look for the hidden charges.

What’s this going to cost me?

Jimmy Brown jimmy@Living4Jesus.com