The Latest and Greatest Thing

Another paid programming for the latest and greatest thing that we don't have that will change our life has just finished. Did we buy into it? Is it really going to do what it promises? Anymore, I don't care about a product's potential to work. I want the product to absolutely work if I am going to invest in it. When you have been disappointed by so many things that promised to change your life, you just want one thing to work. Those programs trying to sell us something on the television always have their little catches. Like the fitness program works, IF we follow their diet plan and maybe buy into the related supplements they offer. The magic fat pill only works if we have too much weight to lose, not the 20-30 pounds that most people care about losing. Oh, and the claims have not been verified by the FDA, which pretty much means that they can say whatever they want. And we let them get away with it.

What if God did it that way? What if we had to accept the free gift, and then do X, Y, and Z to be successful. The XYZ doesn't have to be anything particular, they can be little things. The problem is that the minute we are required to do XYZ, the gift is no longer a gift. The gift becomes payment for the services you rendered. "God, I did what you told me, now I want that reward." This point was brought home to me during my two-hour employment stint as a telemarketer. I had called one lady up and read my script. She astutely pointed out, "You mean you will give me a free trip to Zanzabar if I buy this coupon book? Don't you mean that I just paid X dollars for the book AND the trip?" Quite. Thank you for your time, ma'am. Click.

Why don't we all see things as clearly? The demand that I have to see, do, or say anything to receive salvation offered as a free gift really kind of takes the whole "free" thing away from it. The opposite side of that coin is that we must demonstrate proof of receipt by XYZ. It is the same song, only a different verse. The Emperor's New Clothes, anyone? We act out who we are inside. If the product is real, and brings about a real transformation, there won't be a need to prove it by demanding an artificial demonstration.