That’s the real estate fact that determines the value of residential properties. A home in an upscale or highly desired neighborhood can bring many times the price of the exact same home in a “bad” or less desirable location. Location is the selling point and buyers must pay a higher price to live there. Sometimes the location itself can deteriorate and bring down property values. What once was a desired location may lose its value if a neighborhood isn’t properly managed. I once looked at buying a nice home in an unrestricted neighborhood, but soon discovered the house wasn’t worth the asking price. Mobile homes (trailers) had been located near the nice home and brought down its value. I wasn’t bothered by the well maintained mobile homes, but the bank saw it as a bad deal. That is why nicer locations come with rules and restrictions, to keep up the value of their location.
Similar rules apply to commercial properties. That is why you see new buildings going up within blocks of similar buildings that remain vacant. Extensive research goes into where major retailers open new stores. They have to get it right. Failure to get the location right can mean poor sales and could drive them out of business. I see failure more often in smaller businesses that think they can’t afford the research. They open businesses where they think are good locations, but soon find out they were wrong and have to close.
The value of location isn’t as clear when it comes to being born again. Yes, a person who was born in the “Bible Belt” of the US has all the advantages of the right location. With many Churches to choose from and programs to meet their needs, they should be able to find something they like. Those advantages can result in them taking their salvation for granted and assuming they are good enough. Growing up around religion could make them rebel, especially if they see hypocrisy and moral failure in the Church. A more common problem might be with their own success, they may not feel a need for religion. If their lifestyle includes sin, they may not be willing to give up the “good life” to follow a bunch of rules.
On the opposite end of the location issue are people who were born into poverty in places like Africa and South America. Those are places where demonic activity is more evident. People are struggling with hunger, sickness and death, but the Church is seeing tremendous revival. With unimaginable criminal activity, drug and human trafficking, government corruption and gang violence, the people turn to GOD for help. They don’t have money, social programs or legal systems to meet their needs. They have nowhere else to turn and the ones who put their faith in JESUS have found Him trustworthy and more than enough.
As for this location issue, it isn’t the location you start at, but who you rely on and which location you will spend eternity at that counts. GOD will help us overcome the advantages or disadvantages of our present location, if we will reach out to Him “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). We are all part of that “world” that GOD loves and are certainly included in the “whosoever” that can believe in JESUS and not perish, so we can have “everlasting life” in the ultimate location with Him.
Wayne Lance