Sin's Finance Charges

Apparently, I was not a great salesman. 

During college, I worked in the lawn & garden department at our local SEARS. When it came to sales, I was consistently near the top of our store. But my manager noticed I often settled for what the customer wanted, instead of upselling them.

He told me a smart salesman has a specific job: to help the customer imagine the joy that will come from the purchase. Help them imagine how much better life will be, without drawing too much attention to the price.

That's the way Satan sells us sin. 

Jesus said of the devil in Mark 8:44,
"When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NIV)

When we choose sin, we don't do so based on what it will cost us, but on what we believe we'll gain. And so the attention, pleasure, or possession seems worthwhile in the moment. But later we find out what it really costs. Satan is always careful to withhold the true cost of our sin.

At SEARS, customers often believed that at $12/month, that lawn mower was a steal. And later when they began to count the cost, they realized they'd continue to pay for that mower long after it was gone.

Next time you are faced with a familiar temptation, don't forget the cost. Whatever sin promises to add to your life, it will always remove far more in terms of peace, joy, and favor with God.