Ever see a book on the New York Times best seller list that you really, really wanted to get but it just seemed a bit too pricey for, well—a book?
I have. So, sometimes I just let it slide for the meantime and keep an eye out for it down the road (the deflation road). But every now and then one of these ‘must haves’ slips my mind altogether and a few months go by without me giving it a second thought. That happened the other day until I was reminded about one of these ‘must have’ books about life and Christian living as it sat on the bargain table with a price tag of $1.99 attached to it!
What?! That thing was $25 bucks when it first came out. People were giving up their spleens or selling their first born just to get their hands on it and here it was, sitting on a small table that might as well be called the book graveyard because it truly was the place books went to die—only this one was already dead. So the question is this… At the point where this former New York Times book now rested, was it still a ‘must read?’ A ‘kinda must read?’ Or just the latest author making recycled claims about life (mostly without God) that would revolutionize the way we live (especially with a little Jesus sprinkled on top)?—and therefore, probably not the best use of my time?
Who can say? One thing we do know for sure is that whatever panacea the author claimed was no longer ‘hot.’ People had tried it—with mixed results at best—and now they had moved on to the next best rage.
We see this phenomenon on lots of areas of life but they can mostly fit into the three categories that tickle the fancy of most of mankind—heath, wealth, and prosperity. Think about it.
Health
- Where’s Suzanne Summer’s thigh master?
- I hear the “Ab Lounge” is empty these days.
- People just didn’t have the attention span to stick with the “Six Second Abs” routine.
- Things never really heated up enough with the “Sauna Belt.”
- Turns out even Jane Fonda couldn’t ‘turn back time.’ But Cher’s still trying!
Wealth
- Penny Stocks anyone?
- Buy gold! Don’t buy gold! Buy! No, wait—don’t!
- The stock market will be bullish for decades. The Bears are dead! Oops, I mean the Bulls are dead.
- Buy and sell realist ate—anyone can do it!
- Flip this house! Oops, no one wants ANY house right now!
- Give money to a friend with a ‘can’t miss, once in a lifetime investment opportunity!’
- Fonzi’s out—Ponzi’s in!
Prosperity (Whether in relationships or just overall popularity).
- Did we ever “Awaken the Giant Within?”
- Are men still from Mars and women from Venus?
- Maybe there are more than 7 actual habits for Highly Effective People.
- Maybe we need to just combine the top three diet, relationship and leadership books together to activate the power within!
Well gang, if you think this post is against books and working out and so forth—you’re wrong! There really are great things out there.
No, the point is not that some of these aren’t good-the point is that many completely ignore what’s great because they put all their eggs in the ‘good’ baskets. And how ‘good’ can something really be if it’s long term, effects amount to nothing?
Exactly.
For example—about a hundred years ago the best selling book in America was a book on phrenology which claimed that one could discover his personality strengths and weaknesses, AND predict the future by…wait for it…here it comes…are you ready?
By feeling the lumps on your skull!
We laugh now, but back then “phrenology” swept the nation.
What’s the point?
There’s great news actually. One book has withstood the test of time. Oh, and it has been tested by those who hate it—over and over again. But the Bible keeps reappearing at the top of the all time bestseller list. In fact, the Bible is not allowed for consideration in the New York times best seller’s lists because it takes all the fun out of it by remaining number one every week of every month of every year for ALL time!
That’s quite a rep!
Want to be your best? Discover God’s best for you. Follow Him instead of trying to get Him to follow you. His ways are fool-proof!