Selling Cars and God

A while back I had a conversation (berating more accurately) with an “adamant” Christian. You have probably met one, within the first few minutes of conversation they ask if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if you don’t answer to their satisfaction the sales pitch begins. They state matter-of-factly that if you don’t buy their brand you are doomed for all eternity. In truth, there are thousands of churches based on the Christ teaching and many (if not most) state matter-of-factly that they are the only true path. Fortunately for all there are some things that God is not, and limited or exclusive is on the list.

Having had the occasion of falling into the cross hairs of an aggressive salesman, how did you enjoy the experience? Even if you purchased what they were selling, how did you feel? Would you then go out of your way to continue a relationship with this person? You may have even bought what they were selling just to get away from them. When we hammer someone, even with the truth, the result is usually the opposite of what we wished to achieve.

Having turned my will and life over to the care of God many years ago, I have never seen the “hard sell” approach work in the long run. To be clear: To have a spiritual awakening the desire must come from within. The best sermons are delivered with hands and feet, so we live our lives as a demonstration of the Word. We stand firm in faith and never shrink from flying our flag of belief but we deliver it with a smile and a gentle heart, considering how we would want to be approached if the roles were reversed, leaving the hard sell to used car salesmen.