As a blogger, it’s fairly critical that I have a social media presence. I’m really bad at it though. My stubborn side comes out and I neglect my Twitter account for months at a time. Instagram? I think my account is still there. And then there’s Facebook. I post a range of funny memes to news articles; blog posts (mine and others) to encouraging scriptures. Some of you might remember when I actually thought I would enjoy being part of a multi-level marketing (MLM) company and using my social media as a platform for it. That was… interesting and, quite frankly, revealing.
Regardless of how you look at it, regardless of how many scripts you have to copy and paste (and make it your own), with a MLM you’re still doing sales. I was in banking for a dozen years or so and the last 6 were really turning towards sales. We didn’t even have the perks of “banker hours” anymore. Sell! Sell! Sell! If they’re approved, sell it to them. You have poor spending habits, but you’re approved for this loan… so it must be good for you. I couldn’t do it. I felt dirty at the end of the day. I felt like I was lying to people. I started seeing the MLM the same way regardless of truth.
It was all sales tactics. Present it one way and it looks affordable. For every MLM, there are solutions for everyone. Again, I couldn’t do it. It was hard to get excited about not being transparent, and as much as I loved the product, it left a bad taste in my mouth and on my conscience. When I broached the topic with others in my “up-chain,” I was met with responses of “Oh, I’d never thought of it like that before” and the like. My favorite experience with being part of a multi-level marketing company was no longer selling for it (still love the products, though).
I can’t say that I believe in a product strongly enough to sell it. Manipulating details is a sales tactic I prefer to leave out. I hear about people implementing a new strategy and that person is viewed as a “go-getter.” People can actually make a career out of being an influencer on the wide range of social medias. What’s the real difference between manipulation, strategizing, and being an influencer? For me, it seems that all of them present the picture of perfection and have a tendency to omit some information here and highlight other bits there.
As a social media influencer, blogger extraordinaire, and author, I’m supposed to present myself in an appealing way – a silent way to encourage others to be envious of what I have and who I am. It’s never communicated that way, but in order to “sell” you have to have something others want. King Solomon took some time to rant about this – it’s all meaningless (the entire book of Ecclesiastes)! This image of perfection leaves a bad taste in my mouth. In Matthew 23:2-34 Jesus spends some time talking about how the teachers of the law and the Pharisees present themselves to look a certain way, act a certain way, and condemn – I mean teach – a certain way. This is the passage in which Jesus calls them whitewashed tombs, hypocrites, blind guides, snakes – a brood of vipers – and my favorite: dirty dishes. Pretty stinkin’ harsh!
There’s a similar passage in Ezekiel 34. This section gives me goosebumps! God is speaking to Israel and saying that the shepherds were doing a terrible job, so He makes other arrangements:
“I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” Ezekiel 34:15-16 (NIV)
“…but the sleek and the strong I will destroy…” reminds me of those whitewashed tombs Jesus talked about. Looks beautifully put together and lovely on the outside, but the insides hold “…dead men’s bones and everything unclean…” (from Matthew 23:27 NIV)
We all know, deep down inside, that everyone has bad days. Everyone reaches the limits of their patience, frustrations, and even will allow fear to make an appearance – however fleeting it might be. This is because we aren’t perfect. We aren’t perfect, our homes aren’t perfect, and our vehicles aren’t perfect. My living room has regular fort construction going on, my bathroom sink sports the bright blue bubble-mint toothpaste streaks, and I’m always finding bits of orange peels, apple cores, and fast-food fries in the recesses of our van. One of my favorite family photos has one kiddo with a finger up his nose, another with mismatched socks, and another with the classic Jack Nicholson expression – “Here’s Johnny!” All in one – yes, one – photo.
No one wants a messy house, feral children, and a dented vehicle. We want filtered, wrinkle-free, every hair in place when the world looks our way. I’m not going to be presenting the picture of perfection any time soon… or ever.
While we are far from perfect, we have a Savior who defines perfection. He took the sleek and strong, the dead men’s bones, the dirty dishes, and everything unclean and nailed it to the cross. He took everything – from merely thinking hateful thoughts to committing genocide – and nailed those atrocities to the cross. Yes! He stood condemned holding the sins of Adolf Hitler! If Hitler is not in Heaven, it’s not because of the evil things he did and thought, but the determination of his eternal fate rests in whether or not he placed his faith in Jesus.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:6-11 (NIV)
Our sins, our imperfections (dirty dishes, messy homes and kiddos, and crumb-riddled vehicles), no longer separate us from God! People burn flags, burn Bibles, and abort babies, but their sins do not separate them from a God who loves them. This is the GOOD NEWS!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
I’m so thankful that Jesus did what was required – I could never have done it! This is not a sales pitch for a MLM company or trying to sell something that would be detrimental to someone. And I’m not about to parade my life in filtered glory to evoke envious desires from my audience. No, this is an invitation. This invitation is for you to take a look in every crevice of your van, capture on film all the things you don’t want made public – like my kiddos (yes all of them) with their fingers digging for gold – every holey and mismatched sock and hair out of place… take a look and recognize your need. Not a need for a savior, but the Savior. It’s not too late and you’re not too far gone.
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and then us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God.’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'” Luke 23:39-43 (NIV)
The repentant criminal hanging on the cross next to Jesus was not too far gone and had no chance to perform deeds to work his own salvation – he placed his faith in Jesus. Answer the invitation. No tricks and no strings attached. Every other offer is absolutely meaningless.