A new friend and his wife invited me out to dinner last week. I thought, that’s nice . . . until I showed up and he said, “You get to choose between chicken or steak.”
It was a pyramid scheme marketing dinner. The men up front were trying to sell me a product. I was put off a little bit at first. No one wants to be tricked into being sold something. Was I mistaken to think that the couple really wanted to be my friends?!
But I sat there dumbfounded because as I listened I heard almost the exact things that we say when we’re trying to share Jesus:
-I was lost and broke but now I’ve found a passion and have blessings to spare -It does take some sacrifice, but you’ll be rewarded ten fold -Just tell your friends how your life has changed and they will want in
On our way home I rode in the back seat with my head almost in my hands, trying to figure out the difference between Christianity and some big marketing ploy . . . until the wife said to me, “I don’t know if maybe you could do me a favor. . .”
Oh great; here it is. They need money or help painting their house or something. I guess we are always just expanding our network of friends because we make some sort of commission on each one.
She continued, “I’m really worried about my Jason. He’s really struggling in school and I’m worried about the friends he hangs out with. I know he likes you. Could you maybe talk to him a little bit?”
Why was I resentful to have spent 3 hours at a free dinner that could make me rich, but as soon as I was asked to help a mother’s beloved son even when I had nothing to gain from it, I was sold on the spot?
I don’t think God’s kingdom promises money, but you do gain more love. What I mean is that we begin to love people more.
Maybe that, truly, is the great commission.
Raw Spoon
