There I was, taken in by a pretty face. I had seen the photos in the trade
mags, but in real life, the beauty struck me. The first arrival of the new Ford
Probes was just being delivered, and a black one had me salivating. The only
thing between me and driving off the lot was money, but when I was offered a
lease at less than a purchase price, with no money down, all objections were
removed, and I drove off in my new car. A lease, not a purchase where I would
own it after the 60 payments were made, but really a rental, which if I exceeded
the mileage limits per the lease terms, I would owe them money. My greed and
impatience had got the best of me, so we kept the mileage down, and when it came
time for the lease to end, called Ford to confirm a selling price, it was a
great used car, we knew the owners and the history, and the price was fair.
Very fair. But my surprise came when I asked about the purchasing and was told,
“we don’t care if the car is in pieces in boxes, if you want to buy it, the
price is the same, no matter what.” So we bought the car, in one piece, after
all, it was the lease we could do.
At least for us, leasing was a lower payment way to obtain the vehicle of
our choice, but after the lease ends, we never owned it, and the process started
over. A lesson learned, as today so many lease, but never end up owning the
car. Just making payments, and then on to the next lease. Forever driving
something newer and trendy, but never building any real value. Like renting a
house is different than owning, you pays your money and takes your chances. But
rents increase, houses get sold from underneath you, and cars wear out and need
repairs. And you are responsible under the lease terms after the warranty
expires, want to pay to fix my car instead? And with higher limits on your
insurance, they want their vehicle insured better than if you own it, maybe you
should wait and save a little. Right? That never happens, so we are at the
mercy of our desires, aka lusts, our impatience, and our FICO score. I never
leased again, nor will I, it was the lease that I could do, as in rent, like it
said on my monthly statement. All that money, and I never owned it until I
bought it used after the lease. Still shaking my head over that one....
I wonder if I ever really enjoyed the Probe knowing it wasn’t mine? Seems
ownership and saying it is mine rather than rented sounds better. More stable.
Smarter. And the searcher in Ecclesiastes brings our attention to this, not the
lease aspect, but our never enjoying what we have, then passing it onto
another. If we hadn’t bought the Probe after the lease, someone would have
gotten a great, low mileage used car. Nothing is worse than watching something
you adore lose its luster, and value once you drive it off the lot. Bordered by
mileage restrictions, and never owning it, I don’t know if we fully enjoyed it
as much as we should have. We try to enjoy these things, but some how once the
new wears off, and the payments remain, we feel empty and betrayed. So we rush
into the process again, with another new car, but no leases for me.
God wants us to have nice things, but not to worship them. We have our
hearts content, but because it is not driven by his spirit, God never allows us
to fully enjoy them. And so we fill our lives with things, instead of the
something of love, only found in the someone of Jesus Christ. We seek what we
think we deserve, only God’s mercy reminds us that what we have is based on his
grace, and true gratitude is based on getting something we know we don’t
deserve, but receive it anyway. Do you feel that way about the newly leased
car? About your wardrobe? Where is Jesus in the equation, are you grateful for
what he did for us on the cross, or is that just part of the equation? Is he a
leased God, and when the lease comes up, or something better comes along, do you
trade him in? Are you familiar with the term commitment, and his commitment to
you? Is he just a weekly payment, or really just a payment made weakly in your
commitment? After the joy of being born again wears off, was he just an
emotional outburst, or do you believe he is Lord? We are told to give him
thanks in everything, not just when we get our everything. We may suffer the
payments, the sacrifices, the change of lifestyle we make, which we get to
choose to do, but in the end it will be worth it.
We never intended to lease the Probe, then buy it afterwards. What were we
thinking? But God knew, and the best used car we ever bought came from us. A
gift from God we neglected to see through his eyes. We were too busy looking at
his gift, rather than the giver. He knew the outcome...we just struggled with
the payments. So let God bless you with things, and know that you should praise
God from whom all blessings flow. That he provides them, and for our
enjoyment. Yet many pass on the fun, and rather worry, never enjoying what he
has given. Dump the religious aspect of Jesus today, live and receive freely
the gift of salvation from him and walk in his spirit. Enjoy the freedom found
in him, and learn “in God we trust, all others pay cash.” What good is fun if
you don’t enjoy it? What good is your witness if you don’t enjoy living in
Christ? Jesus died for our sins, it was the least he could do. No rental
salvation, he holds title to us. Jesus promises us joy, it’s the least we can
do is to enjoy it...by the way, remember the Probe was going to replace the
Mustang? Ford still builds Mustangs....
love with compassion,
Mike
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