The four P’s that so easily deceive

THE FOUR P’S THAT SO EASILY DECEIVE

Ben Pfahlert & Tara Farrugia

I reckon most Aussie’s are living for the four P’s. They make choices and decisions, change the way they act, shape and form an identity around the aim of achieving these elusive four P’s. What are they, you ask?

THE FOUR P’S:

  • Postcode: Apparently if you can get yourself a “well to do” postcode you’ll be safer, enjoy a sea breeze in summer and people will raise their eyebrows when they find out where you live. Australia’s richest postcode is 2027 and I reckon heaps of Aussies want to live there.
  • Pay packet: The bigger the better, right? I can be comfortable and secure in the knowledge that lots of life’s problems can be solved by splashing about some dough.
  • Position: Climbing the corporate ladder is important if you want to be free. After all, if I am CEO then I’m the master of my fate, and captain of my soul.
  • Peer approval: Having the best and most toys and experiences are a sure way to seek the respect, admiration and envy of others. In fact, achieving the first three P’s is often how most attempt to win the approval of their peers.

Most Christians are indistinguishable from middle class Australia, and this isn’t good enough. God calls us to the following:

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” – 1 Peter 2:11

We need to be on guard and make sure that we do not fool ourselves into seeking these things above seeking to follow Christ. The four P’s are a good reflection of the world, but they mustn’t be a reflection of those who live with Jesus as their Lord and master. Don’t be a Christian by name alone. Put your faith into action. Stop chasing after the four P’s, and instead use these things to bring glory to Christ.

  • Postcode: Not long after I learned that Australia’s richest postcode 2027 belonged to Point Piper in Sydney’s east, I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled “Resident Rage”. Guess where it happened? Point Piper! Postcodes don’t protect you from problems.
  • Pay packet: How do you spend your pay packet? How much time do you invest in chasing a pay packet? What does this say about where your treasure lies?
  • Position: At the peak of his success the writer, Jack Higgins, was asked what he knows now that he wishes he’d known as a younger man. He replied, “I wish I’d known that when you get to the top, there’s nothing there.”
  • Peer approval: Does wanting the approval of others hinder sharing the gospel to others? Do you spend more time talking about where they went on the weekend as opposed to where they will be spending eternity?