“Nothing lasts forever.”  [To which, the Great Pyramid of Giza says, “Hold my beer.”]  Built over 4400 years ago without the availability of power equipment of any kind, The Great Pyramid is striving hard to be the one exception to the rule about nothing lasting forever.  I still recall watching some kind of documentary program about The Pyramids many years ago.  Pretty much everything I learned from this program has long since been forgotten.  But I do recall the final statement of that documentary – “The world fears time, but time fears only The Pyramids.”

Anyway, we’ve all heard the statement that nothing lasts forever, and I presume we all take this statement to be true, to be simply “settled science”.  The fact that we all take this statement to be true has allowed the builders of virtually everything to introduce us to another phrase which has worked its way into our vocabulary – a phrase which, even though we might find it to be distasteful, we recognize it as being another fact that we must simply live with.  And that distasteful phrase is “planned obsolescence”. 

According to the Sciencedirect website, planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which the obsolescence of a product is planned and built into the product from its conception, by the manufacturer.  This is done so that, in the future, the consumer feels a need to purchase new products and services that the manufacturer brings out as replacements for the old ones.”  In other words, the old saying – “They don’t build them like they used to” – is a true reflection of the business strategy that many manufacturers use today to maintain their client base.   

A “business strategy”?  It seems risky to me, not to mention border-line unethical!  Why would a consumer want to buy another product from a company that deliberately builds its products in a way that ensures they will fail?  Wouldn’t you think that such a “strategy” [un-written, of course] would drive customers to different companies to find replacements for the things that have failed?  Wouldn’t you think that such a “strategy” would lead to bad reviews and bad publicity, and ultimately, to the failure and bankruptcy of that company?

You might think so, but you’d be wrong – at least when it comes to the big companies with well-known products, and at least with a significant portion of their clientele.  Somehow, these companies have marketed their goods and services in such a masterful way that when [not “if”] a product fails, or when a more advanced version is ready for release, they know that most of their customers will simply shrug, and say, “Nothing lasts forever”, and head off to the store to get in line with everybody else whose product has also failed and is in need of a replacement.  Oh, some probably will gripe and complain about it; some will find themselves thinking things like, “This is the last time I will ever buy anything from ____”.  But, as per marketing research, most of them will stay in line, and most of them will buy the next top of the line product.  And then, most of them will find themselves so happy with the bells and whistles on their shiny new device that they will forget all about “planned “obsolescence” – at least until the next “new and improved” version comes along, and the cycle starts all over again.  At least, that is what a huge percentage of that company’s customers will do.  The Company knows it.  And we know it.  And they know that we know that they know it.  And we know that they know that we know it.    

My oh my.  Aren’t we all such sheep?   

In a world saturated with “planned obsolescence”, in a world where “nothing lasts forever”, where can stability be found?  Is there nothing that lasts forever?  No.  Nothing that is of this world will last forever.  And so, I am thankful for the solid and stable foundation found in these ancient words – “With The Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” [2 Peter 3:8].  As far as God is concerned, The Great Pyramid hasn’t even been standing for a week! 

And these words are even better – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” [Hebrews 13:8].   Even The Great Pyramid bows in awe in the face of Eternity.  And someday, so will I.  And someday, so will you.  I hope you’re ready.  It’s later than you think.

Ambrose Ramsey | Shepherd