Planned Obsolescence
“Planned” probably is too strong a word, as it implies intent. A better title might be “acceptable obsolescence.”
By that I mean there are many products we buy that we know we will have to replace over time, even when they are a significant investment. For example, we got a new refrigerator about eight years ago. Recently, we had a problem with the icemaker and had to have a repair person come over. He told us modern appliances like refrigerators are replaced, on average, every 12 years. He went on to explain that this is a combination of new features becoming available and manufacturing them to make them energy efficient.
Energy efficiency usually implies lighter materials that don’t last as long. Our first refrigerator was more than 20 years old when we got it, and I believe there is a chance it is still working. That goes to show you how manufacturing processes have changed—while improving energy efficiency, they have reduced the lifetime of the appliance.
“Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” - Romans 7:1-6 ESV
It just so happens we are getting a new roof the day I’m writing this. I know house roofs have a lifespan of 25 or so years. At my age, there is a good chance this is the last roof my house will need while I’m still around. In that regard, this gives me hope for one less problem to deal with over the remainder of my life.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” - Hebrews 11:1-3
Having stated that, I’m sure I’ll give my new roof just as much admiration and concern as I gave my old roof. Roofs, at least to me, fall in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” category. By that I mean, I rarely look at our roof unless there is a problem to deal with, like a leak or after a strong storm blows through.
Ironically, we had a big rainstorm just a couple of days ago. I remember us being warm in our bed while it was pouring (I think we got 4 inches of rain within a few hours). I had faith that our roof was there to protect us from the elements, so I could snuggle and enjoy the show. (Our cats, on the other hand, were nervous and looking for comfort from us.)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
We tend to focus on what we consider important and ignore everything else. Patrick gave a sermon in which he shared a training story from his time with the Coca-Cola Company. The participants were concentrating so much on counting the dribbling basketball that they missed the person in the monkey suit walking through the scene. Imagine how many wonderful blessings we ignore in our concentrated look at life.
