Titus 2:11-14
God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My cousin’s wife started taking a dietary supplement a few months ago, and now she is selling the product and encouraging others to try it. She is always posting photos and information about this product on Facebook…sharing testimonials for how much weight she and others have lost while using it - and talking about how much more energy they have now. Another friend recently signed on as a salesperson for a company that sells a mascara that instantly gives you longer, thicker eyelashes. She has been posting “before” and “after” pictures on Facebook.
Both of these women cannot stop telling others about these products. And while neither of these products is right for me, I have to admit that these ladies are excellent salespersons! They are so excited about their products that I can’t help but be intrigued. Their enthusiasm is definitely contagious! In addition to selling these products themselves, both women are encouraging others to join the company and become “team members”, as well.
I did not share these examples in order to encourage you to start selling these products – or any others promoted and sold in this manner. But I do think we can learn a lot from these sales methods. Here’s a novel idea…what if we were so enthused about our “new life in Christ” that we couldn’t stop sharing this news with others?! What if our excitement about how Jesus has changed our lives was so powerful that we wanted to tell people about Him all the time? What if our transformation was clearly visible to others in our “before” and “after” demonstrations – or “pictures”, so to speak. Suppose we lived as profound examples of the power, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ. What would happen if we behaved in a way that others couldn’t help but want to try Jesus for themselves?
This sounds so simple…like maybe I’ve “drilled it down” too plainly. But truthfully, Jesus’ gift of salvation is at once simple – and oh, so vast! The multi-level-marketing salespeople like to tell potential “team members” that…”the sky is the limit!” The sky IS the limit with Jesus! There is nothing that He cannot do for us…nothing that He will not do, if only we will “join” and choose to follow Him. He wants us to tell others…to be walking billboards for His love and the power of salvation in Him. Jesus not only wants to transform our lives…He wants us to share His GOOD NEWS with everyone we encounter.
My friends are happily sharing the amounts of their “royalties” checks from these companies on their Facebook posts. They are promoting the financial benefits of selling their products…along with what they claim to be actual physical advantages. Sharing the love of Christ with others may not literally provide you with a hefty paycheck. But the “dividends” are far greater than any others you might ever hope to receive…”freedom from a dark, rebellious life”… a “good pure life” that honors Jesus and makes Him proud…joy and energy…and Someone we can lean on anytime – for anything!
Call me crazy. But what if we exercised the same level of enthusiasm and energy that we give to a weight-loss product or a lash-enhancing mascara to serve Jesus and share His message with others? What if we offered Jesus the same level of “customer service” that we would consider a no-brainer in our businesses and friendships? What if we truly became spokespersons for the salvation of Jesus Christ…and encouraged others to “sign on” and get in on these benefits for themselves? Are you ready to find out? Who are you actively promoting these days?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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