Close Out Sale, Everything Must Go!

Have you ever noticed those guys near major shopping center intersections with signs that say, “Everything must go” or “Store closing”? When you enter those stores, you’ll see all the signs saying 70%, 80%, and 90% off. Every item in the store has bright yellow price tags on them. It seems like a great deal, right? But did you know that when a store closes, a liquidation company comes in to sell all the remaining items? And most of those deals aren’t really deals! These liquidators are very clever. They use Jedi Mind tricks to make us believe that we’re actually getting a deal, when in reality, the prices are 30% or more inflated. They bought all those items for pennies on the dollar, increased the prices, and slapped a bright yellow sale sticker on them! And boom! We end up buying more than we should because we believe it’s a deal. I’ve been caught a couple of times.

Value proposition is something that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Liquidators learned how to position value effectively. They employ clever tactics to make you believe something when it’s not. Recall the man with the sign? That’s the first step; they want to capture your attention in a high-traffic area. Second, they use bright colors like yellow or orange with black letters and numbers. The combination of bright colors and black text draws your eyes to the message. Once you’re inside the store, the next strategy is pricing. Those yellow price stickers with red numbers create the illusion of a fire sale. These small details are used to entice you to make a purchase. It may seem sneaky, but it’s also smart. Do they truly know how to draw you in? There are up to 12 different points they use to grab your attention, but I’ve only highlighted three.

Do you want to know who’s smarter than the store liquidators? The enemy ,Satan is his name. I mentioned his name so you won’t be confused about who your real enemy is. Just like liquidators use sneaky tricks to get you to buy, our enemy does the same. He uses easily obtainable items to trick you. He makes you believe that the life you’re buying is better because he makes it affordable. The word helps us understand how to position ourselves:

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

I understand that it may not be fair to compare liquidators and Satan, as he is far more adept at persuading people to purchase his products. Just as liquidators make sales appear appealing, so does the enemy. The enemy makes the allure of sin so captivating that it becomes irresistible. Similarly, once you enter the store, the liquidators make the prices irresistible to buy, while the enemy once you enter his world makes sin irresistible. In both cases, you find yourself spending more than you intended, but the key difference lies in the fact that sin corrupts.

As I conclude, don’t let the sale of the enemy deceive you. The price will always exceed your expectations. The seemingly inexpensive cost of sin is deceptive, as the enemy always conceals the original price. The enemy’s schemes are nothing new; they’re simply rebranded as a new sale. Stay vigilant, maintain your resolve in the Heavenly Father, and resist the allure of the sticker price.

Next Step:

How can you stay vigilant in your spiritual life? What practices can you adopt to strengthen your faith and resist the distractions and temptations that threaten your relationship with God?

God bless you, God keep you. God loves you and I love you too!