Selling Jesus
Long before I officially became a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I understood my primary objective in life was to sell Jesus. No one ever said it this crudely, but I figured it out. And for years now I have tried. I’ve tried to live an inspirational life. I agonized of how to defend Jesus from ridicule and dismissal. I even invented a personal cursing vocabulary so not to take in vain the name of the One whose marketing team I’d joined.
Since my ordination in the Presbyterian Church in 1994, this sales position has become all consuming. Every public moment I have tried to have on my Jesus smile, carry myself with Christ-like bearing, and look at the world with my Jesus eyes. It has been exhausting.
It has also been increasing distressing as I’ve witnessed other Jesus salesmen prance about on TV. The way so many of them hash the sales pitch make my job selling Jesus that much harder. Their best-selling books suggest Jesus is little more than a cosmic bellhop if you believe this, confess that, or pray right. Royalties from these books earn them a hefty slice of the American Dream if not a place in the
Now I’m done. Not that I no longer believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Not that I don’t believe God’s great love centered in Jesus is the key to the darkness that pools in my life and the destruction ripping apart the
It is just that I suspect my time would be better spent loving people that pitching a Jesus who never asked for a sales force. He asked for followers not a marketing strategy. He rejoices when we care for others without condition rather than as part of a calculated formula to rack up a sale. Abundant blessing, sacrificial love, and laughter are my job, not sales. I resign.
posted by Kevin Finch @ 10:50 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
The best way to “sell” something is to simply show in real life terms how it has enhanced or changed one’s life; whether it’s a new diet, fitness routine, computer program, job, or even Jesus. As Christians it is our job to “sell” people on Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20); however, we don’t have to resort to used car or snake oil salesmen tactics to do so, and “selling Jesus” doesn’t have to be exhausting. We don’t have to defend Jesus when ridiculed or dismissed; we simply have to present the facts as we know them and make it clear that we believe whether they do or not. We then live our lives as we know Jesus would want us to; not with perfection, but with a sincere desire to do what the Bible has taught us is right. Jesus never said we had to be perfect and certainly never told us we should promise people that contributing money, buying books, or even praying daily would solve all problems and bring the wealth, job, love, respect, etc. so desperately desired by most. We simply have to live life as best we can. This is the greatest way to show the power, mercy and love of Jesus. So I’m with you; count me out of the marketing team and sales force. All Jesus asked of me was to be the person I was created to be and show love and respect to those I come in contact with daily.
Part of my daily Word/Praise/Prayer time is to end each 'session' with an abbreviated version of St. Patrick's famous prayer:
'Christ be with me. Christ be in me. Christ before me, Christ behind me. Christ below me, Christ above me that Christ be known by all who meet me'. It reminds me to remember whose I am and who I serve but also to avoid that temptation to try and add "sell" to the list.
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