But Wait! There’s More!
I am easily amused by both infomercials and really bad commercials. Do you remember the classic Hawaii Chair?
But wait! There’s more! Innovative marketers also gave us:
- The Potty Putter
- Mr. Microphone
- The Comfort Wipe
- Spray-on Hair
- The Wearable Towel
Just plug it into the wall , and it will do wonders for your face—like make you look like Jason from Friday the 13th.
What makes these commercials so fascinating?
- They try to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
- It’s highly questionable whether the product really fixes the problem.
Yet for all their weirdness, these products have an irresistible appeal to people. Lots of people.
So they get suckered in. You ever notice the commercials don’t tell you the price until the very end? And when they display the price, it is deceiving:
“Oooo, only $49.95!” How many customers miss the fine print about four easy payments … or the exorbitant shipping and handling?
The payments last longer than the product.
I’ve never bought from an infomercial, but I have made purchases that turned out to be a financial liability. A loss. Just plain stupid. And I bet you have too.
The Book of Proverbs is full of financial wisdom about avoiding financial entanglements. Granted, purchasing a Ginsu knife so you can cut through tin cans may not be as financially devastating as loaning your cousin Murray the money to launch his own sure-fire infomercial product, but unwise purchases—and even more unwise debt—limits our freedom and ability to serve God with what He has given us.
Serving God? I thought you were talking about stupid purchases? One impacts the other.
Let’s be wise with every dollar we spend. God expects us to use our money to take care of ourselves, take care of our families, and benefit the kingdom of God. Let’s use our money in a way that honors Him. A bad purchase, a bad debt, or even a well-intentioned co-sign on Cousin Murray’s loan leads to entanglements that prevent us from having the money we need when we need it. And that’s not wise.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
———
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine (Prov. 3:5-6,9-10).
This 
post supports the study “Earn Money Productively” in Bible Studies for Life.
A printable version is available to share with others: But Wait Theres More
