This slogan, as described in the title of this Editorial, can be seen often in advertising for the purpose of purchasing a product where one receives a special discount or an incentive for acting on the offer right away. Most would be willing to purchase something, especially a marked-down item from the original price with incentives such as: “half off”, “almost sold out”, “lowest price of the year”, or “don’t wait until it’s too late!” This is advertising “at its finest” because you don’t want to miss out on such a deal like that, right? However, this could also be stressful as this adds pressure to the buyer since time is of the essence.
According to an article from inc.com, a new study is showing that deals and promotions affect every part of a shopping experience. They state that “the recent record-breaking sales and profits numbers from Amazon illustrate how competitive the global online marketplace has become. A recent report highlights some of the ways businesses can use deals and promotions to attract new customers and keep them loyal to a particular store or online retailer.
“A new survey from RetailMeNot shows deals have substantial influence on customer acquisition, brand loyalty and brand perception among consumers, especially among millennials. The survey found that two-thirds of consumers have ‘made a purchase they weren’t originally planning to make solely based on finding a coupon or discount’. Similarly, four out of five (80 percent) said they feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a brand that is new to them if they found an offer or discount. Seeing a good special can encourage people to buy when they otherwise wouldn’t have.
“The RetailMeNot survey found that nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of Americans say offers are a top factor when deciding where and what to buy online. And four out of five (81 percent) Americans say finding a great offer or discount is on their mind throughout the entire purchase journey… Nearly all of the consumers (94 percent) in the RetailMeNot survey said they search for a deal or offer when shopping online. Three out of five (62 percent) consumers agreed with the statement ‘they cannot complete a purchase before searching for an offer.’ These discounts and promotional levers continue to be critical for retailers who want to reach new shoppers to drive incremental sales.”
Oftentimes, these “special” deals don’t always last and these types of incentives and discounts will drive the purchaser to act right away or they will miss out. With this analogy, we can see a similarity when it comes to our spiritual lives which is considered more critical. Sometimes, we may be inclined to act right away, but God cautions us: “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16; see our Q&A) On the other hand, we DO have to act RIGHT AWAY by doing what is right, obeying God, and making sure that we don’t miss out on the chance of receiving eternal life. Why would we want to delay that? David understood this by saying, “I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:60).
Preparation is key. Using the knowledge that God has gifted us with is to our benefit. We shouldn’t neglect it by putting it off, but need to use it now, at all times (compare Proverbs 6:4). If we become too negligent, this can lead to laziness, which makes it more difficult to get back on track and that is why diligence is also vital (Proverbs 13:4).
Wisdom is also fundamental for we need to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
With this special understanding, we need to be careful that we don’t fall into the category of many who will proclaim to Christ that they “knew” Him, “knew” about God’s Way of Life, yet they deceived themselves or they weren’t dedicated enough to LIVE that Way and DO what He commanded on a CONTINUOUS basis. And Christ will respond, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23).
We can easily get sidetracked through the distractions that surround us, and because we are aware of that, we need to have God in our thoughts and our actions continuously. This Godly Way we live and have chosen is for LIFE, and if we fall behind at times, which does happen, we need to get back on track, because if we don’t, we could very well miss our opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom. Act NOW and don’t wait… before it’s too late!
