Which is the better deal?
I just heard a commercial for those interested in buying a new car. If you were to buy a car from a certain dealer they would buy you gas for a year or give you an extended warranty to 100,000. I'm not a math guy so I can't figure it out in my head, which leaves a choice which is the best deal. I know I like that new car smell.
How do you decide which is the better deal the gas or the warranty? Gas is so expensive right now that gas for a year is a lot less stress on the bank account. However, many money gurus would tell you that most warranties aren't worth it. This being a vehicle, 100,000 miles is about 7 years of average driving. Something is bound to go wrong long after the dealership has paid for your gas. There is the dilemma. The mental back and forth, weighing the options could go on for minutes even seconds I'm sure. Another way we tend to analyze things is by looking at the immediate not the long term or the other way around. We could spend so much time and effort figuring out the value of the options and miss the underlying issue. Do I need a car? Or in my case. can I afford a new car?
There is an obvious analogy about temptation . While it may seem that the options sweeten the deal, the question is really about needing a car. We get to thinking about what we could have and, WOW, that would make life more convenient, people would notice me, I'm worth it, driving sure beats walking in Houston. The bottom line is the dealership wants you to become unsatisfied with what you have. (I'm not saying car dealers are evil)
Think about Adam and Eve, they had everything in the garden, even doubts. Did He say that?, …you won't die, …they're good for food. Curiousity in the here and now exchanged for eternity. Then there is the same wrestling with me when I get wrapped up in the options. The possibility of exchanging God fellowship for a moment's convenience or pleasure seems foolish but too often we're looking for THE DEALof a lifetime or just the present.