Besides McDonald’s, in the United States, we can go to many places for hamburgers. I once went to a local restaurant for lunch, which is famous for hamburgers, and people gather there from near and far. I ordered one gigantic hamburger. The waiter asked if I wanted fries and a drink with that. As I hesitated, she added, “It’s included.” Without a second thought, I responded, “Sure.”
Just like me, ordinary people will have second thoughts when they have to pay extra. We’ll ask, “Do I need it?” However, if it’s included, maybe as a bonus or free of charge, we want it. Free refills, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and an all-inclusive cruise or resort often make us eat and drink too much.
Do Western societies really offer free products and services? If you drive long distances in the United States, you may encounter toll roads. Out-of-state travelers, unlike locals, may even have to pay twice the amount. There are ways to avoid the toll, but you’ll need to take a detour. It’ll take longer, and the road conditions may not be as good. Some people call it highway robbery as if the government is a bandit. The very fact is that construction and maintenance of the roads require money. Toll roads ask the users to pay. Free roads are paid for by all taxpayers whether they use them or not.
When the government says, “Free for everyone,” it’s something that you’ve paid via your taxes already. For a low-income person, someone with a higher income has paid for him or her. In our society, things that are giveaways, including free samples, are not truly free because the merchants already include them in the cost calculation. Except for the salvation from the Lord Jesus, almost no products are free.
To save limited resources for those who need them, we should learn to take only what we need. If you have to pay extra, do it. If it’s included, and you can use it later, accept it. If you don’t need your prepaid services, give them up as a reward to the serving staff. After all, when you achieve a certain level of financial independence, it is more important to have peace of mind than to pinch pennies.
Pastor Ken 2022
