Sermon On Impetuosity

Edward Whymper, FRSE, the English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, once stated: “Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.” Proverbs 21:5 supports this in that: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.”

There is an aphorism: "Act in haste, repent at leisure." It is a sad fact of life that many people can be vulnerable to this pithy observation at any time in their life. We all do things that we regret and often wish that we could turn the clock back and relive a particular situation with a different outcome. "If only I had considered this or that." We may say to ourselves, "I should have known better" or "What on earth was I thinking of when I made that decision?" Does it strike a chord? I am sure that many of us would have to agree that it does. Proverbs 19:2 reminds us: “Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.”

In the difficult times of hardship or needs, our desires can sometimes predominate all rational thinking. Caution can be thrown to the wind and we can be tempted do things that can be deemed as utterly senseless. Thieves and fraudsters are fully aware of this trait which can easily occur in times of weakness and take full advantage to benefit themselves. They depict things in an alluring way, they will tell you that this is a once in a lifetime golden opportunity which you can’t afford to miss. They will harass, cause unbelievable pressure and gradually grind you down until you submit to their wishes.

Fraud, scams and confidence tricksters remain rife in these unprecedented times. The unscrupulous perpetrators responsible are like vultures. They patiently await their next victim. Their eyes bulge with greed, their hands claw at the very heart of mankind. They have no compassion or consideration for others. They do not contemplate the pain, grief or long-lasting harm their actions will encompass. From the rich to the poor they are indiscriminate. 1 John 2:16 informs us: “For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions, is not from the Father but is from the world.”

There is a true story about an extremely vulnerable man with mental health issues who was allowed to go on holiday alone by his partner for a break. He decided to go to Tenerife in the Canary Islands to an apartment hotel just outside Playa de las Americas, situated in the south of the island. He was formerly renowned for impulsive buying and acting in haste. One particular day he was sitting in reception using the hotel Wi-Fi system to perform Internet activities. He was experiencing many problems as the connection was not good and as a result became extremely frustrated. He was chatting to a fellow guest who informed him that if he went to a particular shop in the town, they might be able to help him resolve his difficulties. The following day he went to the specified shop and informed them of the problems he was experiencing connecting to the internet on holiday. They informed him that if he was prepared to purchase a small tablet at a modest cost of €49, they would be happy to lend him a small portable Wi-Fi router which could be subsequently purchased for €50, if he so wished, and could be used anywhere. This would give him a reliable and secure internet connection.

They also informed him that after thoroughly trying out the system to his own satisfaction, they would refund his money if he was unhappy in the slightest way, as they always wanted their customers to be totally happy and satisfied with any transaction made with them because “A happy customer is a customer that will return often.” In effect, he could consider the package as a free trial if he so wished. For the remainder of the holiday, the man used the equipment and found that it was extremely effective and reliable and he was able to obtain a good internet connection wherever he was. The shop initially agreed that he should return on the last day of his holiday to return the router and the tablet, should he decide that he didn't wish to keep it. If he was happy with it, they would set up the tablet for ease of future use which included installing several programs and a free 10-year antivirus system which would all be included at no extra charge.

An arrangement was made to collect him from his hotel at 15:00 on the final day of his holiday to transport him to the shop. When he arrived, he asked about buying a new router but was informed that it was not necessary with the complete system they were about to offer him. They asked him if he had an existing "Sky television" package to which he replied "Yes. I do." They asked him the amount of his monthly payment subscription charges and how long he had been with the company? He told them the amount and stated that he had been with them for well over 10 years. They stated: "Do you realize that you have spent over £18,000 during that time and what have you got to show for it? - Nothing." They then informed him that they were offering a package with "Google World" which included every "Sky" channel available, plus Netflix, British Telecom, known as BT, BritBox, Virgin Media, in fact, every subscription channel available for a one-off lifetime payment of £8900. They informed him that he could save himself a small fortune over time by purchasing this at this very favourable price. The package included a set-top box which connected to the television to access all of the channels, a card which inserted into the tablet to give him internet access anywhere in the world without the need for Wi-Fi with the additional function of watching any of the channels on the tablet plus a £3500 satellite phone. They then proceeded to demonstrate the entire system in full detail. He was in the shop for six hours.