What’re the odds?

We’re in the middle of an election year and everybody has hope that their candidate will win. One side is trying to paint as bleak a picture as they can while blaming the darkness on the incumbent and denying any culpability. The other side is dipping its brush in buckets of hope and painting a bright future with unlimited possibilities.

Just based on initial messaging, (as an ex-advertising man) my advice—to take a phrase from Star Wars—the dark side needs a new ad agency. When did you ever believe that a product promoting doom and gloom would change your life for the better? When was the last time a successful product got that way by bashing its competition? In ad-speak when you don’t have a clear, positive message, you’re left with two choices. One, you can try to be the cheapest on the shelf. Or, two, you can try to convince your audience how bad your competition is. Neither is a winning strategy.

Think about the Pepsi/Coke challenges.

Neither company badmouths the other. They let results (track record) speak for them. Mostly, they don’t even mention the competition in their own ads, they focus on, wait for it…their track record. When you don’t have a track record, you have to say something and usually, it’s negative.

One of the all-time gurus of advertising, Claude Hopkins, in his book Scientific Advertising says, “Tell people what to do, not what to avoid.”

Think about today’s question on odds. How do bookmakers set odds? Isn’t it largely based on track record, on what someone or a team has done in the past? Sure, new players can have an impact and up the odds. But looking back is a good gauge of what looking forward will be.

As usual, this blog is about things that matter.

What is hope based on? A wish, a dream, a desire for change? What’re the odds of your hoped-for thing happening? People buy a lottery ticket, hoping to win. Odds? Millions to one. Weathermen say 50% chance of rain. Duh, they’re right either way. As believers in Jesus Christ, our hope is based on God’s track record as described in His Word. Never wrong. Never misleading. Always true, the good news AND the bad. Why is that important?

The Bible says, “Every Word of God is tested…” (Pro. 30:5) Wouldn’t you like that same standard of your politicians? The Bible also says, “God cannot lie” (Tit. 1:2, emphasis added) That’s why we need to pay attention to what God says about the end of days…because they’re coming at us like a freight train. What’re the odds you’ll avoid God’s wrath and judgment? Either 100% or zero. It’s in your court. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, it’s 100% you’ll avoid God’s wrath (1 Thes. 5:9). The darkness and gloom spoken of above will seem like Disneyland (“the happiest place on earth”) compared to what awaits those who haven’t trusted Christ’s death and resurrection to pay for their sin.

If you’re not sure and don’t like your odds,

go to the Appendix “Steps To Salvation” to see a step-by-step roadmap to a relationship with God. Don’t wait too long. Just like there’s a fixed date for the election, God has fixed an expiration date for each of us (Ps. 139:16). This is the only way I know to stack the odds in our favor. And I like sure things.