Jeremiah 9:5
They wear themselves out, always looking for a new way to cheat their friends.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We need look no further than late-night infomercials on television to see the power of the line, “Have I got a deal for YOU!” Dozens, if not hundreds, of entrepreneurs stand ready to sell you their latest invention, sure to make your life better in every way imaginable. And maybe a few of these products work. I’ve been tempted to order a few… the incredible clothes hangers, the orange cleaner for your floors and other surfaces, and even the slap-chopper thingy that is supposed to make dicing onions and other veggies a breeze.
I have also seen a segment on a local news station broadcast called, “We Try It Before You Buy It.” And I’ve seen some of the niftiest looking gadgets go down in flames when the show hosts cannot make them work… or they fail to come through as promised by the merchant on TV. These “inventors” are wearing themselves out looking for a new way to make a buck. Maybe they don’t set out to intentionally cheat the public with a product that doesn’t deliver. But I have to believe that quite a few of them know their product is worthless and won’t work for the consumers who purchase it.
What are we “selling” that can’t deliver? How are we wearing ourselves out chasing our tail, so to speak… spending time and energy on things that are less than honest or fair, rather than be the real deal for Jesus? How often do we ask ourselves, “What’s in this for me?” rather than “What would Jesus do?”
I would like to think that none of us deliberately sets out to cheat our friends – or even those we don’t know! But that’s exactly what happens sometimes when we put ourselves first. Maybe you just wanted a day to yourself, but by not offering your friend a ride, he/she didn’t get to attend something important to them. Maybe you bought yourself a cup of hot coffee instead of putting your change in the Salvation Army bucket outside the store… and now someone who really needed a hot cup of coffee won’t get it. Maybe you decided you would rather be lazy and stay home than attend the funeral of a close friend’s relative… and a whole lot of other people did the same things, so the crowd of supporters was noticeably small. Each time, your excuse was good, but it was just that - an excuse (and maybe even a dishonest one!).
While these things may not quite literally be considered cheating or lying, we tend to narrow our definition of these actions to fit our own desires… when in God’s eyes, a whole lot of things we would discount are truly dishonest and wrong behaviors. When we start to truly walk in the ways of God… to let Him live in and through us, our selfish desires become secondary to non-existent. Lying and cheating are not even on our radar screen… in ways great and small. Are you there yet? Have you made this commitment… and can others see it in your daily living? Isn’t it time we began to turn the corner?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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