Encouraging the Shoulds

Dan & Chip Heath have a great article entitled Sell Handcuffs in this month's edition of Fast Company. In it they discuss how companies are discovering how to monetize their customer's desire for delayed gratification.

It's all about helping people do what they know they should do. Most business models are centered around helping people get what they want NOW. A relatively untapped market that people are waking up to is helping people get what they want LATER.

Reading the article made me think of how life in Christ is about putting aside your screaming wants and instead choosing your shoulds. Ultimately, we all know that the shoulds in our life are the things that really matter, but our wills are so often so weak that we have a difficult time getting to should.

What does this mean for churches? We are interested in helping people get to their shoulds and set aside their wants. What the Heath's note is that if we can figure out a way that will reinforce people's decisions for their shoulds, then we help them on their way. People will make a decision for their shoulds today, but will often forgo that decision in the face of their wants tomorrow.

How can we help create mechanisms that will help people—that will strengthen their will—so that they can say "no" to their wants. Just like the piggy bank that creates the barrier to easy access to the change. Or the credit cards frozen in ice blocks force people to think about what they are doing before impulse buying. What can we do to help people read their Bible, talk to God, invest in their families, share their faith and more?