Appliances, Marriages and Lifetime Guarantees

A friend of mine is heartbroken. Her husband has asked for a divorce. Seems he has found a much younger, “newer” woman. “How can I compete with a shiny new model,” she cries. I comfort her as best I can and I empathize with her frustration at being tossed aside for a newer version.

Recently my washing machine stopped working and I had to call a repairman out to take a look at it. After examining it, the technician informed me that to repair it would likely cost as much as buying a new one. This same experience had happened a year before with my dishwasher. So I started thinking about all the other times when instead of repairing something I had tossed it into the junk pile and replaced it with a shiny new one. This decision was usually motivated by finances. A new washer, or dishwasher usually comes with a guarantee for a least a few months. So if anything does go wrong in that period, the appliance is repaired or replaced. So what would be the point of fixing and keeping a worn out machine when a new one would cost the same?

Eleven years ago, in what was undoubtedly the most devastating moment in my life, my husband told me he wanted out of our marriage. That he had fallen in love with someone else. He wanted to start over again with someone new. I think that a lot of people think that marriages and commitments are no different than appliances in that regard. When things get tough, or even when things aren’t all shiny and new like in the beginning, that it is easier to pack up and leave and start anew. My marriage, like so many others, was sadly relegated to the junk pile. The debris was far reaching and affected a great many lives. Repairing the marriage would have taken a lot more effort that just throwing in the towel. The willingness of my spouse and so many others like him to see marriage as disposable rather than repairable has left many children, families and people devastated.

Granted, there are no lifetime guarantees. With one exception. We have a lifetime guarantee that through Christ we will have eternal life. God offers a lifetime warranty, free of charge, to anyone who chooses it. His love never wears out or needs replacing. His love is constant, steady ,uplifting, supportive and freely given. Unconditionally guaranteed. What a bargain! And what a blessing.

Occasionally we may hit a snag in our spiritual life and need a repairman; a minister, a counselor or even a trusted friend to put us back on track, back in good working order. We are never too costly to repair. God doesn’t throw us out at the first sign of trouble and get a replacement. God doesn’t nitpick our annoying habits that may drive a spouse to want to bail out. God is everlasting and stable. God offers us an Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. Built in extended warranty, beyond our time on earth. Eternal.