Getting what you paid for
(by request, my homily from Sunday)
I’d like to talk with you today about getting what you pay for.
Think about the last time you went to the drive through. You put your order in. They told you how much it was, so you drove around to the window.
When you got there, you paid for it. And then, they handed you…something else, something you didn’t order.
Now, you are the nicest person on God’s green earth. So you didn’t yell at the kid in the drive through window. You didn’t go all Karen on them, and have one of those “I demand to speak to the manager” moments.
But you could have. Because you’re upset. That’s not what you ordered. That is not what you paid for.
It’s a natural reaction. Even if we’re mature enough to handle it gracefully, we’re still upset.
It’s ours. We picked it out. We paid for it. And we want what we paid for.
Why? Why do we get so upset when we don’t get what we paid for? Because that’s how things are supposed to work in life. You pick something out, you pay for it, and that’s what you get.
It’s the natural order of things.
The thing is, it’s not just what’s supposed to happen. It’s what does happen. In every area of our lives.
Whether we realize it or not, every day you and I are picking out things and paying for them.
And you’re thinking, “sure, I go for lunch, I pick what I’m going to have, I pay for it, that’s what I get. I go to the store, I pick stuff out, I pay for it, that’s what I get. I go on Amazon, I pick stuff out, I pay for it, that’s what I get. What’s your point?”
All of that is true. But making your choice, paying for it, and then getting what you pay for –doesn’t stop there. Making your choice, paying for it, and then getting what you pay for extends to every part of our lives.
Let’s go back to today’s first reading for a moment. Where it says “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.”
The thing is, the principle that the first reading is talking about isn’t limited to just the big ticket stuff. High-drama things that grab our attention, because it’s obvious what’s really at stake. The kind of things that you and I will binge-watch shows about on Netflix.
Making your choice, paying for it, and then getting what you pay for is a principle that extends to every part of our lives.
And whether we mean to or not, you and I are always making choices. It’s something we literally cannot avoid doing. Here’s how it works.
Let’s say that when you took your current job, that job wasn’t your endgame. One of the reasons that you took the job was because of the career path that went with it. It’s the kind of job that has opportunities for growth and promotion. Both inside the company and with other employers in the industry.
You’ve been coming to work for almost 5 years now. You’re doing a decent job of it. No complaints on your evaluations. But time and again, you get passed over for promotion. Why?
Take a look at who is getting promoted. The people who are stepping up to do the special projects. The people who are doing more than they have to. They are the ones reaping the rewards.
Why? After all, you chose the same job. Why not you?
Because there’s a step two. It’s not enough to choose, that’s step one. If you want to reap the rewards, you have to pay. That’s step two.
The people who are getting promoted, they’re on step two. They’re paying. And they’re getting what they paid for.
If you’ve ever wondered why you’re at a point where a relationship seems stuck. Whether it’s a business relationship, your relationship with a friend or a family member, a romantic relationship. This is the first place to look for the solution.
Odds are, you’re not doing step two. You’re not paying.
But I must warn you. Making your choice, paying for it, and then getting what you pay for? It also works in the negative.
If you’ve got a friend that you never do anything with. That you never make time for.
And those few times when you do connect with them? You’re too busy telling them all about the things that you’re doing, that you’re interested in. If you never make time for the things that they’re doing, that they’re interested in.
Or worse, you do make time for the things that they’re doing and that they’re interested in. So that you can second-guess them. Or be critical of them. Maybe even make fun of them.
When they stop taking your calls. When they block your texts. When they unfriend you on social media. Don’t be surprised.
You made your choice, and you paid for it by what you did. You’re just getting what you paid for.
All of life works this way.
The reason that all of life works this way? Because the Source of all life works this way.
This is how God works? Yes. It’s what the first reading is talking about. It’s what Jesus is showing us in today’s Gospel. As Jesus says,
“Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
If that’s your choice, and you pay for it - by doing it, then that’s what you get.
Again, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment;”
If that’s your choice, and you pay for it - by doing it, then that’s what you get.
One of the most beautiful truths about God is, if we think about it, also one of the most terrifying.
That the One who made our free will respects our use of that free will. That God will not substitute His judgment for ours. And He will give us exactly what we pay for.
The other thing to know is that our choices, no matter how great or how trivial they may seem to us, our choices add up.
Sometimes they add up visibly. Mostly they add up more like the way that the ocean keeps washing in sand. Little by little. Unseen from day to day. Until one day we realize that there’s a beach where there was none before.
No matter how it happens, the cumulative effect of our choices is either leading us towards God. Or away from God.
And in the end, you and I will get exactly what we’ve paid for. There is no neutral option.
Today, take a look at what you’re getting. Out of every area of your life.
Take a look at the direction you’re headed.
If you’re not getting what you wanted. If that’s not the direction you want to go. Then maybe it’s time to be honest – about what you’re really paying for.
