I’ve been recruited into a multi-level marketing or “network” marketing business with a company called Monavie. The company has created an incredible product that I genuinely believe in. But that’s not the problem. The question that continues to loom in my mind and has kept me on the reservation is this: Can I fulfill the call to evangelize and at the same time be profitable in business? Or as John Piper put it in an artical titled Some Questions to Ask When Considering a Job:
5. Will this job help establish an overall life-pattern that will yield a significant involvement in fulfilling God’s great purpose of exalting Christ among all the unreached peoples of the world? “Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Put aside whatever you know, think or feel about MLM (multi-level marketing). The fact is, that those who passionately pursue this business strategy are very sucessful in a fairly short amount of time (a few years). It takes a lot of work but it can and has been done by many. Monavie has “made” 85 million and multi-millionaires in their short 5 year history. Now I’m not looking to be a multi-millionaire but I do know several people who have retired from their normal careers thanks to Monavie. But none of this is in question. The trouble for me is this: I sense that to be evangelically oriented and MLM-minded are mutually exclusive. Now I don’t want to make that as an absolute statement for all people for all time. Perhaps there is a way to do this thing called Network Marketing in a way that honors God and does not interfer with the proclamation of the Gospel. I just haven’t been convinced by the arguments. In fact, the internet is chock full of articles and webpages devoted to convincing you that these two things are not just compatible but complimentary to one another. Again, I’m not convinced. I have generally detected a level of confusion concerning Gospel and its implications among the authors of such articles.
My business mentor is a professing Christian, and I believe a genuine believer. He continues to encourage me to be friendly to everyone I meet and intentionally meet people. He says I should (as he does) strategically interact with strangers in the checkout line and people I frequently see at Starbucks (his example) or home depot (my example). I should then strategically, if this person is responsive to conversation, lead/steer the conversation in the hopes of getting that person to ask me the question, “What do you do for a living?” Or to share something personal about themselves as a stepping stone into a different conversation. This then is my opportunity to share the business model or more often, to get their contact information and set up an appointment to share some ideas with them. This strategy is very effective.
The problem is this is all too familiar to me and it should be to you too! This is evangelism (in strategy). Whenever I think about doing this sort of thing I’m sidetracked by my conscience convicting me of how infrequently I think about the dying world around me. What’s the link between the two? I should be learning people’s names at home depot and building relationships and “networking” with people I meet in the checkout line for KINGDOM purposes, not for Monavie purposes. These people need the GOSPEL, not a health beverage, regardless of profundity of its genuine health benefits. When striking a conversation with strangers I try to draw them out a little and steer the conversation to get them to ask me where I went to school and what for so I can tell them my major: biblical studies. 99% of the time they ask, “What is that?” And BANG! There’s my opportunity to share the gospel! Lately this has been even easier. I ask someone where they’re from. They ask me. They ask me why I moved. They ask me why I moved to the west valley. I tell them about the church plant…etc. Bang! Instant opportunity.
The thing is, I’m TERRIBLE at this! I’m not talking about the actual “skill” of evangelism…I’m just thoughtless to the people around me. I’m all wrapped up in why I’m in Home Depot for the 20th time this month and what I need to get there and what I’m going to do when I get home or to the job site. I don’t think first as an ambassador of reconciliation rather I think first about myself.
So how do I do both? Can it really be done? Several leaders in my upline are professing Christians. The one man told me he has had hundreds of opportunities to witness to people as a result of being in this business. I believe him. After all, part of network marketing is relationship building and so it can yield opportunities to be salt and light but in the long run it seems like it may just be a hinderance. Other business owners don’t seem to have this problem. My dad for instance owns an autobody shop. People come to him because they need his services. They sit down in his office, tell their sob story, look behind him at the poster on the wall that has all the names of Jesus and they start asking questions. My dad has countless opportunities to share Christ to his customers. He’s not in conflict with trying to share a product or a business opportunity on the one hand while trying to share Christ with the other. He doesn’t need to market his business. He has a sign and a reputation that does that for him. Telling people about his business and the services he offers probably never even enters his mind, lest he’s in a position to help someone.
Network marketing on the other hand is very different. Its all a numbers game. You need to reach more and more people with your product and business model in order to be sucessful. Only a handful out of those people will join you or purchase your product. So you keep pursuing more and more people with the Monavie gospel. As Christians, we don’t view sucess strictly as “soul winning.” To preach the Gospel is to suceed because we know that the seeds of the Gospel are planted and that another may water and yet another will harvest the fruit. This is not so with Monavie. Generally there’s either fruit or there’s not. So you share and share and share and run with those who join you and move on from the multitude who won’t.
So as I’m standing in the checkout line, the reality is I may never see this person again. I ought to live as though this is my only opporunity. So which message do I want to leave with them? The message of Monavie? A better financial future and physical health? Or do I want to plant the seeds of the Gospel in the hopes that God would delight to grow in their hearts until they are made alive to Christ? I don’t want to have to make that choice…to choose between my finciancial freedom and someone’s freedom from Sin and death. Its hard enough as it is to choose to share Christ. Do I really need something else competeing for my allegiance to the Message? Like there aren’t enough of these already!
