Tire Protection Plan

Our youngest daughter purchased her first car. The house rule is, "Want a car when you turn 16? We would love for you to have a car! Save money. All you will need." I know, we are mean parents. Anyway, she saved and acquired a new used car at a good price. The process, by the way, for a father and daughter is great. It is truly a "bonding" experience.

So, she pays gas, oil change and we will pay the maintenance. Insurance on us, unless she has an accident. The car will need tires soon, so I did a bit of looking today. I had not purchased tires for a while and the retailers tried to talk me into a "protection plan" kind of like a service maintenance agreement. They seem to be common these days and I think they are designed to either play on your fears (my tire will get a nail in it) or to give you a sense of value (I will make money on this because my tires will get many nails in them.)

Both are based on how we perceive the future. What will happen and do I need "insurance" to protect me from loss? Medical insurance is based on the same idea, car insurance, home owners insurance. You hope you pay out less than you get in benefit. They (the insurance company) hope just the opposite.

Now, think about it from a spiritual perspective. Yes, we all want "fire insurance" so we don't go to hell. What other type of agreement would we want to enter into now, that could pay dividends for us in the future and perhaps prevent us from sustaining major loss? What is worth giving up a little of our wealth for?

Discipleship? You have to spend time and money on books etc. Could that be a good preventative use of resources? Time with family instead of doing your own thing? Could that return blessing? You get the idea. I am not saying we should become utilitarian. That is what the car tire insurance model is. We should wisely look to the future and see what we need to do now as we work out our salvation. We are building our future both here and there in many ways. And when trouble comes, it is good to have invested in good theological studies, to know the Word, to understand community. All of that takes time spent.

So, do you need a tire protection plan or is it a gimmick? Need a life plan for 2008 so you can determine where you will attempt to spend resources that will impact your future? Maybe there is one "yes" and one "no" to those questions.

At least worth thinking about. Worship Well.