Well, the Stock Show is over and, even though I am now living in Kiowa, I still had the opportunity to get there a few times. Of course I enjoyed the animals, but one of my other favorite sights is all of the hawkers, selling everything from Ginzu knives to salsa makers to drill bits to coloring pens. I must admit, I am drawn to these salespeople and love to watch and listen as they peddle their wares. Their job is two-fold: to convince their listeners that the product they are selling is extraordinary and to motivate their listeners to act on what they have just learned.
I have realized that when I preach, I am doing much the same thing. Similarly, when we have a heart-to-heart talk with our children, have a motivational talk with our employees, or share the Gospel with a friend, we in some ways find ourselves in the same position as the Stock Show salesperson. Convincing them is not enough; we want them to act on what they have learned.
In the past, I have purchased items from the Stock Show and have been disappointed, not only in the product but also in the integrity of the person selling the product. They know that if they are to make a sale, they need to convince you that the product is indispensable and easy to use. When I get the item home I learn that, although it may be useful, there is some trick to getting it to work well, as the demonstrator did. Perhaps they told me something that was not quite true or left out some information that is necessary to get the product to work properly. Regardless, I feel like I have been sold a bill of goods, and now I have another rather expensive paperweight.
If we are going to share the Gospel with friends or to try to teach our children how to navigate their ways through life, we need to make sure we are presenting these truths with integrity. Some ways that we can avoid the pitfalls of the Stock Show hawkers follow:
- Don't oversell. When sharing the Gospel with a friend, we may be tempted to tell them that God will cure whatever ails them. God will repair their troubled marriages, put their finances back in order, or bring them back to physical health. When God does not miraculously solve these problems, they can become disillusioned and wonder if God really exists or if He cares enough to do what we have promised. Now please understand: I believe God can heal marriages, finances, and health, but I have also found that He rarely rapidly solves problems that took years to develop. We need to be honest about the process that God uses to bring peace into our lives.
- Don't press for an immediate sale. At the Stock Show, this is a must. If someone walks away from a booth without buying, there is less than a 10% chance that s/he will return to make a purchase later. So, don't press for immediate action. We must remember, we are not Stock Show hawkers. The power of our persuasion is based on our relationship with our listener and the draw of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convince sinners of their need to act, and that will be done in God's time, not ours.
