Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 25, 2008
“Don’t Pull a Fast One”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
We were newlyweds, and our naiveté was blood in the water as we walked into the car dealership.
“Have you ever thought about leasing?”
“No. Do a lot of people do that?”
“Oh sure. It’s about half and half. Half the people buy and half the people lease.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. Well golly, let’s go ahead and lease.”
Later we were ushered into a back room to sign our life away. Very casually I asked the paperwork guy, “What percentage of your business is leasing compared to selling?”
“Oh, most people buy. Only about 10% lease.”
That, my friend, is what I call “pulling a fast one.”
Have you ever been the victim of someone who pulled a fast one?
It happens a lot in business. It’s why we still use the old Latin phrase “caveat emptor” – let the buyer beware.
What exactly does it mean to pull a fast one?
Recently I was reading about basketball star Shaquille O’Neal. The article said his mother handles some of his financial affairs, and his father – quote – “makes sure people don’t pull a fast one on me.”
Pulling a fast one means taking advantage of someone when they don’t see it coming.
Now in a strict business setting, you leave it up to the other person to see it coming. And if they don’t see it coming, well, their loss and your gain, right?
But as Christians, we are never in a strict business setting. Oh, we still conduct business, but it always includes our faith, our belief system.
And this applies to much more than just business. People do this to each other in all areas of life: in marriage, at work, at school, even at church. They pull a fast one.
A key element to pulling a fast one is that the other person doesn’t see it coming. It’s the element of surprise. It’s kind of mean, really.
Like going into a church board meeting and springing something.
Or maybe you are holding something in reserve. It’s your little trump card. Some juicy tidbit of information, and baby, when the time is right, you are going to play that card and play it fast.
The point being that you win and they lose. Ha ha.
But a Christian shouldn’t do that. A Christian should never pull a fast one.
Look at Philippians 2:4. It says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This is a somewhat unfamiliar concept in our culture today, and here’s why.
What is a cornerstone of our economy? Competition. It’s my business versus your business. I’ll look out for my interest. You look out for yours.
What is a cornerstone of our government? Checks and balances. Right versus left. Executive versus legislative.
What is a cornerstone of our legal system? Defense versus prosecution. It’s not that both sides pull together for justice. It’s that both sides pull hard against each other, hopefully resulting in justice.
And now listen to this. In business, in government, and in law, a great way to win is to pull a fast one. You exploit a weakness. They don’t see it. You do. And you win. Ha ha.
It may be the American way, but it is definitely not the Christian way. The Christian way is that we look out, not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others.
What is best for me, and you? What is best for us all?
This is God’s way, and it is the best way.
And it is the blessed way.
So are you getting ready to pull a fast one? Don’t do it. Instead do what it says in Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
Other phrases that come to mind; “no drama,” “don’t do something bogus,” “speak the truth in love.”
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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