“Shipping & Handling”

Nowadays you can buy just about anything on Television, from glow in the dark pillows to teeth. I’m sure you have seen those silly and sometimes annoying infomercials that offer you helpful products for everything you can think of. There’s “Instahang”, a cross between a stapler and a nail gun that promises to free you from the headaches of proper picture hanging. Then there’s the “Perfect Tortilla Bowl”, guaranteed to make your next Mexican feast one to remember. And let’s not forget to the “Magic Bullet” a handy machine that allows you to chop, blend, dice and grind your favorite ingredients into a quick meal or smoothie. You can have all these products and more by simply calling an eight hundred number and making a credit card, check or money order payment. Some companies will send you up to four of their products for the price of one. Some will even send you two free if you purchase one. The one thing they all have in common is the fact that you can order what you want but you will have to pay shipping and handling. This fee is charged to insure that your items get to your door in tact and on time.

However, if you have ever ordered anything online or off television, you know all too well that there are no guarantees that your items will arrive unharmed or at all for that matter. Your products could arrive broken, with missing pieces and commonly they arrive late. Such is the world in which we live. With guarantees, there are no guarantees. No matter how much you pay for a “thing” there’s no way you can be sure that it will work or last forever. No matter how much money you have there is no amount of money that can buy you a guarantee that won’t fail. Warranties, guarantees and even insurance can fail us at times. I Corinthians 13:8 says “Love never fails. But whether there is prophesies they will fail. Whether there are tongues they will cease, whether there is knowledge it will fade away.” So since love is the only thing that is guaranteed what should we do with this information? Deuteronomy 6:5 says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.” So while you’re ordering a bunch of nonsense off television, that will be in Wal-Mart before Christmas, and paying a boat load of shipping and handling with no guarantees, do a quick heart check. Make sure you are doing something that comes with a guarantee but no shipping and handling, loving yourself, your fellow man and most of all God. Think about it.