smoke what you sell

In the past couple of years, I have been approached by several Arbonne International representatives who are concerned about my financial well-being and want to help me make LOTS of money. If I join the “pyramid” (even though they say it’s NOT one), I get to be my own boss, have an unlimited income potential, and participate in a Mercedez-Benz car program.

But they don’t tell me about their product.

Arbonne is a company that sells products related to skin care, nutrition, weight loss and aromatherapy. The products might be outstanding, but I wouldn't know…the reps have never told me. I’m not even sure if they are smokin’ what they’re sellin’!

I was reminded of my Arbonne experience while reading What Was I Thinking? By Steve Brown. This is what he has to say about it:

A friend of mine says that much of the evangelism and witnessing
done by Christians is a pyramid scheme. The purpose is to acquire
the product (i.e., salvation), sell it to others, and then train those others
to sell it…so those others will, in turn, acquire it and train others to sell it.
The problem, my friend says, is that we don't always use the product. We
just sell it.

It can be true with the Bible too. We can spend so much time defending
and “selling” the Bible to others that we don’t use the product very much.
And we can spend so much time articulating our doctrinal position from
the Bible that we forget why it was even important in the first place. We
can be so enamored with the Bible’s truth that we forget that the truth is
to be lived and used, not just acquired and memorized.

Thank you, Mr.Brown for reminding us that the doing is as important as the selling.