It was a dreary morning in Phenix City when I called
on Tuesday to wish him a “Happy Birthday.” He was in a pretty good mood,
though. Several customers were in his store browsing his extensive selection of
fishing lures. If it had been warm and clear, they might have been out on the
water. Instead, they were inside looking for the latest and greatest artificial
bait.
If you have never wandered down the fishing aisle of
the sporting goods section of a department store, you might be surprised by the
sheer volume and variety of the options available. If you are a regular customer,
then you know not only about the range of options; but also how quickly some
products can rise and fall in popularity. The avid sportsman is always looking
for an edge over his prey.
Some folks don’t want to wear last year’s fashions.
My brother is glad there are lots of folks who don’t want to go fishing with
last year’s lures.
The push to stay up to date is not limited to
fashion and fishing, though. Somebody is releasing a new phone (or should I
say, “mobile device”) every week. The smart phone I own asks me if I want to
update some software application several times a month. We have grown accustomed
to constant innovations in consumer electronics.
It’s happening at the grocery store, too. More than
10,000 new products are introduced each year. (Now you know why they have to
keep rearranging the store.) Most new products are not revolutionary. They are only
slight changes to the original—a new flavor, size or package; but they are
changes the manufacturer hopes the consumer will believe are better.
Indeed, that is what drives much of our behavior. We
are always looking for something better. Better food. Better phones. Better
fashions. Better fishing lures. We seem to believe that once we find something
better, we will be satisfied.
Consider that all this searching for what will
satisfy may be a distraction from finding the one who has promised to supply
all we need. Let me invite you to spend some time this week focusing on the one
who is truly the Savior of the world.
