Leviticus 19:35-36
“You must be impartial in
judgment. Use accurate measurements—lengths, weights, and volumes—and
give full measure, for I am Jehovah your God who brought you from the
land of Egypt.
The Living
Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission
of TyndalePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights
reserved.
Yesterday while I was shopping at Walmart, I
wanted to purchase a name-brand shampoo and conditioner. I noticed a
big aisle display for “bundles”…two 12-ounce bottles of this particular
brand of shampoo and conditioner for $7. The sign on the display said
something about a “big savings!” I walked over to the shampoo aisle,
and bottles of this same brand of shampoo and conditioner were $3.84 per
12.6 ounce bottle. If you “do the math,” you will see that this “big
savings” amounted to one penny per ounce!
Deceptive? Maybe
not. But in our culture, particularly in the world of retail, such
“ploys” to get our attention are at best a little on the shady side.
How many times have you noticed that the price of some favorite product
has increased…only to discover that the size or quantity has
ever-so-slightly decreased? Maybe there was no deliberate effort to
deceive the consumer. But then again, it’s possible that the
manufacturer hoped that we would not notice the difference!
My
point is that these sorts of deceptions and tricks have become so
commonplace that we shrug our shoulders and go on with life, even when
we really don’t like what is happening. And I have to think that this
sort of “double dealing” has a way of working its way into our own
lives, as a result. When we let something become so readily acceptable
and commonplace, it’s easy to internalize it and make it a part of our
own persona.
I don’t mean to say that paying more for less
product at the store without complaining is going to make us all liars
and cheaters. But scripture definitely reminds us that God has told us
to be honest and fair in all things…business dealings, relationships
with others, and even with ourselves. Let’s be real here…that “one more
cookie won’t hurt” attitude may just signal a pattern of deception and
“fuzzy math and measurement” that will lead to all kinds of problems for
us personally!
So double down today in your effort to always
“take the high road.” We may not be able to change the practices of the
big corporations who make our shampoo and laundry detergent, but we can
certainly make every effort to operate in honesty and fairness in our
daily living…to err on the side of generosity…and to always leave the
judgments and retribution to God Almighty. Demonstrating our loyalty
and obedience to God is all that really matters. When we make this our
top priority, He will always handle the rest.
©2015 Debbie Robus
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