I WANT IT BECAUSE I CAN’T AFFORD IT

NPR’s Market Place Money interviewed Darren Dahl, professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business.  Professor Dahl conducted a study of shopping behaviors that found something interesting. 

“Customers are more likely to buy luxury goods from rude, snooty, or aloof salespeople.”  

According to Professor Dahl, "Our research indicates they can end up having a similar effect to an 'in-group' in high school that others aspire to join."

The effect isn’t perfect.  It doesn’t work on non-luxury brands, and the effect diminishes with time and familiarity.  Still, the research offers an opportunity to examine ourselves and our this need to give our money to people who treat us like crap.

Of course, we could have been examining this question all ready if we’d been reading our Bibles.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote: They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. (Galatians 4: 17, New King James Version)

In retail terms, that means: They aggressively advertise to you, but it’s an evil trick.  They plan to treat you like crap so you’ll spend more money.

They want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

Paul issued this warning to members of a church.

A church!

There is something in our human nature that, independent of times and place and nationalities, makes us susceptible to this, the oldest of tricks in the Book.

THEM: You’re ugly.  We don’t like you.

YOU: Wait.  I’ll starve myself and work out and cover my individuality in mass produced make-up and hair weave until I look like your clone.   Now, please let me be with you people who don’t even like me.

THEM: You’re not rich so you should die when you get sick and drink contaminate water if we feel like polluting. Ad though we get to collectively bargain as political action committees and industry lobbying organizations, you should not be able to combine into unions.

YOU: Of course.  You’re right.  That’s what America is all about.  Please, let me vote for you, and campaign for you, and contribute to your organization, even though your every action is against my own economic self-interest.”

THEM: You.  You don’t have a private jet like I do.  You don’t have Armani preaching robes or a Bentley with personalized plates or a fat diamond on ever other finger.  So, God doesn’t love you as much as He loves me and you can’t be a member of my church.
YOU: Oh, preacher-prophet-bishop-apostle-doctor-televangelist-cult leader, wait.  Let me swipe a credit card.  Let me take out a loan for your appreciation gift.  Here’s my W-2 and the password to my online checking account.  Just please, oh please let me sit in the members auditorium.

They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

An old, old trick.  But it still works.

But now that you know, you don’t have to fall for it anymore.

The Bible’s advice for avoiding the exclusion trick is very simple.  The next verse of Paul’s letter to the Galatians says be always zealous in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.  

 Zealous in a good thing

Basically that means: Instead of drooling over the stuff that disrespectful, demeaning, snobbish, hateful people offer; choose instead to want good things.

Not shiny things.

Not expensive things.

Not the things you’d never heard of until you heard that song.

Not the stuff marketed through exclusion.

Good things.

Things that allow you to do good----and it’s not good to compromise your integrity or your dignity just so you can have LESS money. (Cause you do realize that every luxury purchase is a net loss to your income?)

Want, really want good things---- things that allow you to do good.

Investing in your children’s college education is good.

Eliminating your family’s debt is good.

Having a good job and positioning yourself for a better career is good.

Don’t let THEM define your desires.  Define your own desires in terms of what is actually GOOD for you.

If you let evil people (who don’t even like you) continue to tell you what you’re supposed to want, then they will have you spending your money to impress people who treat you like crap.

And that’s NOT good.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for

education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

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