Indulgence often gets us in trouble. Usually it is because the things we indulge in are those things which are not good for us. In the middle ages, the Church began to offer “Indulgences” which allowed someone to be released from purgatory. Indulgences were given for special deeds or special offerings given to the Church. One industrious priest came up with a fund-raising idea to help build up the Church’s coffers—sell indulgences. He even began the practice of selling indulgences to people for their loved ones who had already died. If you offered an indulgence in the name of a loved one, they would spend less time in Purgatory and make it into heaven sooner. It is reported that he roamed the streets of Germany proclaiming, "When a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs!"

Today we indulge ourselves in many things, and often they are things which we should be denying ourselves. Let’s get off of the indulgence bandwagon and submit ourselves to Kingdom work.