Keeping Up

I watched a movie last night about a pretend family that was placed into an affluent neighborhood in order to influence those they come in contact with to purchase various items. This "family" has all the latest and greatest items (given to them by their clients) from cars, clothes, golf clubs, and watches to frozen appetizers, drinks, and more. All of these items are designed to make their new "friends", neighbors and social contacts jealous so they will then go out and buy the items themselves.

On the surface this "family" is happy and has it all and those they are around want to be like them. Reality though, is that they aren't even friends, let alone a real family and none of the products they have are actually theirs. They are leading empty, lonely lives and are manipulating others down that same path of futility.

While this is a movie and obviously not real, I don't think we are that far off from companies doing advertising in this way. In America we already struggle with coveting and with "keeping up with the Joneses" so it is not too much of a leap to think that this could happen as companies try to find new ways to gain customers. What we also have a problem with in America is buying things we can't afford, getting the new "must have" thing and then wanting something bigger or better. In this movie, the family is very successful at influencing those around them and taking advantage of these two struggles I just mentioned. Their next door neighbor buys all of the things that his new "friend" introduces him to despite the fact that he can't afford it. Eventually the facade that this neighbor puts up by buying these things comes crashing down and he ends up killing himself to escape all the pressure.

While I think we all experience some of this in one way or another, some are far deeper into this trap. The only way out of the trap is not to finally have it all (because you can never have it all), it is to realize that no amount of money, stuff, fame, etc. will ever satisfy and know that they only thing that will is JESUS. Don't follow the world, follow the one who made it!