The yearly subscription price is only ten dollars for twelve issues. That’s good. However it gets better. There is a guarantee that states if I do not save $1500 over the next year by following their money-saving advice, they will refund my ten dollars. It sounds wonderful. But wait. How can I prove that I only saved $1475? Do I have to keep receipts and compare them to the receipts from last year that I probably did not keep? How much documentation am I going to need to get my refund? How can I prove that I really did do “everything” they required? The more I think about this the more convinced I am this isn’t really much of a guarantee?
This reminds me of an ad I once read that guaranteed my child would have a successful life if I purchased and read a book entitled, How to Raise a Successful Child. How many decades would have to go by before we determined my child’s life was successful? By whose standards would success be measured? What if he became a billionaire but was miserable? What if he lived on welfare but was amazingly happy and carefree?
However, before we over-generalize and declare guarantees worthless we have to remember car companies do repair or replace parts on our cars as long as the warranty is valid. There are reputable guarantees and I want to mention the best one ever made. It begins with I John 1:9. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And of course there is John 3:16. Our God is a God of His word. When God makes a promise you can count on it!
Written by Roger Bothwell on May 6, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574