July 28, 2014
Unbecoming
A fellow believer boasts, and he has records to
back up the boast, that he is the most productive salesman in his field. Interestingly
he also publicly bemoans that some people in the business community are saying
negative things about him, which is hurting his business and reputation — and
he wants the comments to STOP! From the world’s perspective he might garner
some sympathy. However from a biblical perspective, God has faithfully and
abundantly provided for the man who, by his own admission, is successful. “A greedy
man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper” (Proverbs
28:25 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I wonder what’s in the depths of this pool? Maybe the negative chatter is true. Maybe the salesman is the most productive salesman in his field not because he’s selling the best stuff, but because he has the best knack for manipulating people into a buy. He’s great at sales. But, how good is he at satisfying unhappy customers? If this is the way things are, he needs to turn his demand to stop the talk upon himself as a demand to actually satisfy customers so his actions will do the talking. But that’s just one of my guesses.
-----Another guess? Maybe the negative chatter is false. Maybe the salesman’s wares are as good as his pitch, or better. Maybe he handles the few complaints from dissatisfied customers with humble ambition to fix whatever the deficiency’s been. And it is the source of the chatter who is better at manipulating people into the sly than the buy, so the jealousy, so the slander. Since he’s selling good wares, satisfying customers, never selling to sell but always to only bring goods to fulfill a customer’s needs, his best demand to stop the chatter is to double his sales efforts. Reach more people, making more satisfaction in the masses, further spreading his good ethos which would then eventually dilute and washout the deceit.
-----The world hates us who love the Lord. I’ve cried and fussed most of my life about their slanderous behavior. I’ve searched out the evidences and realities of the new life to formulate our best defense, only to learn the shield is provided: faith, and a weapon of attack: the Word. But the slinging of words is not the swinging of the sword. Producing actions and reactions out of its principles swings the sword. In a world full of fraud animated by many more who travel the freeway to destruction, the godly actions of a few traveling the path to life will never amount to a driving wind sweeping away all deceit.
-----That’s not our victory. Our overcoming the evil one is our doing right by the Bible unto the neighbors from the desire of our hearts. This is the reality of new life established by the presence of the Spirit with our spirits through faith in the Son. It is the individual’s victory. But, moreover, by returning good for evil there is a victory for others. It is not a victory blowing away evil on its own, though it participates. Its victory is in evidencing God’s reality for others' persuasion. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) You can say those evidences are kind of like tow lines. And even though no single string overcomes evil itself, each is a faithful tug the Father uses for drawing.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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