Sometimes the most meaningful things are little things that we never really think about. Now I’m sure that there are some folks out there that go around humming, whistling, maybe even singing some of these little commercial jingles that are large part of our life. We didn’t really ask for them. They just keep sticking everywhere to get their message across. Just the other day for absolutely no reason at all I happen to run across one of those out of nowhere things so to speak. In 1974 Burger King introduced the iconic have it your way slogan to highlight their new policy of letting customers customize their food orders. “Have It Your Way” duetted with a famous musical jingle. Now in that jingle the lyrics included, “hold the pickles, hold the lettuce. Special orders, don’t upset us.” In simple every day language it simply meant that customers could change the ingredients they may want to more pickles, or they may want less or maybe add extra ketchup whatever, they could do it their way. For 1970 it was a pretty good fit. It was a message of independent style and   giving power to the buyer. Well, Burger King didn’t let that deal go by, they didn’t let it fade. They’re still with us and in 1991 and 1992 They came up with “Your Way Right Away.” Burger King knew at this time that they had a good thing going here so they turned right back around and in 1999-2014 they hit us again. “Burger King, where your the Boss!’

God created everything in this world, no matter what it was from the greatest thing down to the lowest thing in the dirt of this earth, and God knows all that goes on, and these things are difficult to understand and sometimes we don’t even try to. Of all the wonderful things that our God has created and of all the wonderful things we as his creation have been blessed with there’s one large gaping problem. People will be people, somewhere somehow we tend to wander off. It is my thought that when God gave us free will so to speak, We used it for all the wrong things. Today’s blog is not a knock against the fine folks at Burger King, but really hats off to a very perceptive bunch of people that recognized something that we try hard not to admit. Regardless of the situations we find ourselves in we, the human side of us wants to be in charge of everything. The folks at Burger King recognizing this… they created three very key slogans that has served them well over the years simply because they resonate with our weakness and our desire to “Have It Your Way”. The pages of Biblical history are littered with God’s people who I have affectionately chosen to name the “Hamburger People.” now we do not want to be disrespectful so don’t become upset with me, Just trying to figure some things out. But the Burger King folks came right back some years later almost back to back with the slogans “Your Way Right Away” and “Burger King, where your the Boss!’ Now that is a triple whammy for sure. That falls right in the path of everyone of us who are trying so hard to follow a Good Way. I can’t think of anything you could tell somebody that would persuade them perhaps to take a second look at the direction they are traveling then to tell them, you can have it your way, you can have it right away, and of course here’s  a big period at the end of that. “Remember, this is where you can be the boss.”

From a biblical perspective if I were going to have a fallen list, I suppose there wouldn’t be enough paper to put all of them on the list. The first on my list would be one that we all know about that would be the fallen angel himself, Lucifer. In mainstream Christian tradition, Lucifer and Satan are considered the same people. I’ll add this here not because I’m extremely brilliant but because I read it while I was researching, there are some biblical thoughts that shows they started as completely separate concepts. Why did Satan fall from heaven? One of the big causes was pride, Satan’s desire to be God, not a servant of God. When we read and Isaiah 14: 12–15 and Ezekiel 28:12–15. We see a picture painted of Satan, who was supposedly exceedingly beautiful angel, and he was most likely considered to be the highest of all angels, one of the most beautiful of all of God’s creation. But he was not content in his position. Satan wanted to be God plainly put,  he wanted to kick God off his throne and take over the rule of the universe. In keeping with one of my long held beliefs, evil cannot exist within the presence of the mercy, the grace and the love of our creator. Satan fell from heaven because he was pushed. It’s as simple as that. Let’s take a few minutes just to look at some other folks that decided to have it their way. When people try to do things their own way instead of God’s way the Bible shows they often face serious consequences. Biblical examples of doing things their own way  are as follows.

-there, of course, for Adam and Eve they ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden because they wanted wisdom on their own terms. This brought sin and death to the world.

-there were Abraham and Sarah, they tried to fulfill God’s promise of a child through Hagar instead of waiting for God’s timing. This created a family conflict and historical strife.

-Nadab and Abihu, Aaron sons offered unauthorized fire to God because they used their own method instead of God’s. The Lord soon dealt with them. 

-King Saul offered a priestly sacrifice himself instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel because he panicked and rushed things. God stripped him of his royal dynasty.

Lastly we read of King Uzziah he became so proud that he entered the temple to burn incense on the altar, which was a job that was reserved only for the priest, God struck him with leprosy for the rest of his life. Christianity affords us many blessings and the assurance of better things to come. But, in the Christian faith there are three things that you can’t have. You cannot…

• “Have It Your Way”

• “Right Away” 

•   “You Are Not The Boss”

Life is Good

jk