I will never forget my first job. I was sixteen and had only worked on our farm all my life. Two women that my mother knew opened a consignment shop in a nearby town that sold hand crafted items. One day they asked me to run the shop for them as they needed to go out of town.

I went to the shop that morning and they quickly taught me what to do if someone came in to make a purchase. That was my training. I was quite naïve, and didn’t even consider walking around to familiarize myself with the products.

I anxiously waited for customers and finally a man and woman came in, obviously not from around there. They looked around a bit, and then the man came to engage me in conversation while the woman looked around more.

The man asked questions about the area, and then started asking personal questions, like how long I’d been working there. I proudly proclaimed that it was my first day on the job! That’s all he needed to know.

Finally the woman came up to the counter with a large handmade quilt. She said she couldn’t find the price and handed it to me. I searched the quilt and found a price tag of $50. So I made my first sale – a whopping $50!

That evening when the shop owners returned and asked how it went, I was quick to share that I’d sold the beautiful quilt for $50. A look of utter shock crossed their faces, and I was horrified to learn that it was a $200 quilt!

After explaining to them what happened, they realized that the couple had deceived me. The man kept me busy talking while the woman switched price tags. Surprisingly the ladies still paid me for the day, but took quite a loss. Needless to say, I was never asked to work there again.

We learned important lessons that day. The shop owners learned to not leave the shop in the hands of someone who was untrained and inexperienced, and I learned how easily we can be duped. Many years have gone by since that day, and now I have more wisdom to not fall prey to lies or manipulation as easily.

We’ve all experienced at some point someone trying to take advantage of us, and it leaves us wary of being duped again. But there is a master of all dupers at work against us every day. Satan, the enemy of our lives and souls, does all he can to lie and deceive us. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” 

I realized I was able to be duped because I was not familiar with the items being sold. Perhaps if I had walked around and looked at prices before that couple came in, I would have been aware of the true value of that beautiful quilt. It’s much easier to deceive someone who has no knowledge of the circumstances.

That is why we need to be so diligent to understand the true value of God’s Word, to read and study it to gain the knowledge that is available to us. As we learn to understand the truth of God’s Word, we will be less likely to fall prey to the enemy’s lies and deception. We can stand firm upon God’s truth to fight against his schemes and devices.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 845-482-5300.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 845-482-5300.