If there has ever been a phrase that has been used far too many times, and which has led to a larger percentage of people who believed it to regret taking action once they heard it, this is it. Satisfaction Guaranteed. It's been used to sell everything from "Pocket Fisherman" to laundry detergent to vacation destinations. Some companies even take it one step further in declaring that if you're not "Completely Satisfied," you can return the item for a full refund.
They'd have a tough sale with me on that one. I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever been "completely satisfied" by anything I've purchased. I mean, sure, if my laundry detergent cleaned my clothes so well they all looked brand new, that would be great. But I wouldn't be completely satisfied. If it could also take my laundry downstairs, put it in the machine, then throw it in the dryer with a Bounce sheet, fold it nicely when it's dry, and have it waiting in my closet neatly pressed, we'd be getting closer to my being completely satisfied. If it then washed my dishes, cleaned my car and paid my bills, then yeah, I'd be good with that. But would I be "completely satisfied?" Probably not.
But what if that were true? What if you saw a commercial on tv, and the salesman said "If you buy this, I will personally guarantee that if you use this product as intended, it will not only do exactly what we claim it will, but it will also do things for you that, while they might seem completely unrelated, they will all work together in a way that will guarantee you "true" success in whatever you do in the time you have left here on earth? What if he went on to say "Even when you believe you have failed from this point forward, this product will take those failures and turn them into success in the long term?" What if you were skeptical at first, but then saw people you know and trust who bought this product, and who swore that every word, every promise, was not only true, but that this product delivered far more than the commercial ever suggested? How quickly would you buy that product, no matter the cost?
What we saw at church last sunday, and what we will see this coming sunday, are perfect examples of what I'm talking about here. Ben and Kristin Choitz (Mostly Kristin, of course) spoke of something they have bought into that comes with "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They want to permanently relocate to Africa to follow what they know with all of their hearts they have been called to do by God Himself.
This coming sunday, we will hear Len DiCicco speak of what he believes with all of his heart that God has called him to do.
In taking these leaps of faith, are they all experiencing moments of doubt? Fear? Lack of faith in their own abilities? Will they continue to experience those moments even after thay have taken these steps? Absolutely. Without question. Will they encounter moments when they believe they have failed? There's no doubt.
But here's what we need to ask ourselves: What are they buying into here? What is this "thing" inside of them that is driving them to do things that very few of us would ever consider doing in our own lives? What is this "product?" It's a calling that they know without question God has placed in their hearts. That calling is different for each of us, but we all have one. And here's the beauty of it: The purpose for which they were called to do these things will not fail. How do I know this? Because God doesn't call people to fail. He calls people to be used by Him to accomplish His purpose, and in doing so, to experience a wealth of emotions intended to draw us more near to Him, as well as to draw others to Him by what they see of Him in us. Failure is impossible, because God does not fail.
In the end, if we trust in Christ and follow where we are called, our lives will be more successful than we would ever have imagined. When our time here is over, and we meet our Lord face to face, we will be "completely satisfied."
The best part about this product? It's absolutely free. All we have to do is ask for it.
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