Recently, I had this up as a Facebook status.
I know what I am about to post may come off rude. I am sorry. This is how I feel and I need to get it out there. If you are part of one of those businesses like skin care stuff, advocare, juice plus, etc etc etc, PLEASE stop messaging me asking me if I want to join your team and sell your product. No. I don’t. (btw I am not talking about things people make,or are gifted at helping others on, that they sell, hair stuff, jewelry, blog stuff etc. That is totally different :)) I don’t mean this rude, but honestly it comes across as that you only want to use me to make money. I have had people who have not talked to me in YEARS message me and instead of saying, wow good to reconnect, or ask me how I am, they simply give me some marketing thing about why I should sell their product and if I would join their team. Most of the “letters” I get look the same, so I am sure they are copied and pasted. How would it make you feel if I randomly friended, then messaged you after years and that is what I asked? It would probably make you feel used and that you only wanted to contact me to make more money for yourself. Again, I don’t mean this rude, I am simply being honest. I have gotten SEVERAL messages recently asking me to join so and so’s team and sell such and such, because I stay at home and need money (when really, if I make money you make money right?) I have some convictions and reservations about businesses like this, to be honest, so I would never sell any of it (I sold something for a short time and was convicted to stop, one reason because I did not want to make people feel the way I do now) So, PLEASE. Think about how it may makes people feel. That is GREAT if you want people to join your team and you are passionate about what you sell, but maybe act like you care first, be their friend. Anyway. I am just throwing this out there, since I have gotten several messages lately. PLEASE do not take offense to this I just really felt the need to say that. Thanks.
I know, I know, I am sure people may think its just the pregnancy, third trimester, I am losing my mind, getting hot and fat emotions talking, but really, it is more than that. I have had these feelings for quite some time, but never had the guts to share them.
So, if you want to blame pregnancy for being brave enough to post, then maybe. However, I think I would have eventually succumbed to the emotions inside me, unable to take it anymore.
I am talking about those pyramid or multi level type of companies. I am sure some of you will say, but mine doesn’t work the same, blah blah… sorry. It may not look the same, but the overall point is still the same.
I said in there I had some convictions and reservations. I wanted to share those. Maybe this will make you think. If you sell something, great, but think about HOW you go about it. I tried selling something like this once, and just couldn’t do it. I hated making people feel used, or like I was being pushy. I had a very good friend who messaged me and really made me think, spoke truth to me, and made me realize things like this really may not be the best thing to do, especially as Christians.
These are MY convictions. I am only sharing because I have been asked about it, people have told me they feel the same, and I have gotten into conversations recently about this type of things. I am not out to stone anyone for doing things like this. This is what I feel the Lord speaking to me, and I felt lead to share.
1) It makes you change your focus on why you are talking to people: Sure, not everyone you come in contact with you will ask about joining your team, however, I see so much stuff and get asked SO often about buying such and such, or selling such and such that I have a feeling when you are very much into these businesses, you begin to look at people differently. Rather than looking at them as someone to serve and love as Jesus does, you see them as a an opportunity to share your product, someone to buy from you, or someone to join your team (all of which makes YOU more money) I am not saying everyone in these companies does this. I have friends who sell things who have NEVER ever made people feel like that. I am saying it is something to watch out for. People don’t want to feel as if you have an ulterior motive for talking to them. In fact, when I was in my company for a short time, the first meeting I went to, the director actually said to begin looking at people as a potential to make money. WOAH. NOT GOOD. That is not what Jesus called us to do for those around us, is it?
2) Many of these products are expensive. This economy is rough for many people. We still pretty much live check to check, though we really are starting to be in a good place, and I am thankful. When trying to sell your product to people you really have no idea of their financial situation. Many people feel pressured at parties, or when asked, to purchase something, when honestly, they cannot afford it. Yes, it is their primary responsibility to know their limits, but when pressured or asked many times to try such and such it will change your life… many people just get to a point where they don’t know what else to do (I had people tell me this when I was selling the product I was doing). So what happens? In a way I felt as if I was causing people to spend beyond their limits, or waste money on things that are not truly important, or things they don’t need. Yes, many of these products are great, and I am sure they do great things… but that comes at a high price, and one many people cannot afford the luxury of.
3) I feel like it tempts us to want to make more, do more, and begin focusing on STUFF rather than others. Focus on THINGS rather than people. Grow a desire for more money, more things, more stuff, more people under you. It can almost become an addiction if one is not careful. This is not the type of life the Lord calls His children too. He tells us we cannot take anything with us. This world is not our home. He tells us that what we have is not important, money is not important, and NONE of that makes us happy. Only our Savior makes us fulfilled and He is the one who will supply our needs, and I don’t always think that a 75.00 bottle of “anti-aging” is something we NEED. What is wrong with aging anyway?
Again, I am not saying that these companies are wrong overall, but some of the attitudes I have seen from those IN things such as this, IS. When we claim Christ and make people feel this way or have this attitude, I think it can greatly hurt our witness. Yes, some people greatly benefit from helping their families while being a stay at home mom, and that is great. However, I think sometimes there are better ways to do that. I have friends who make things and sell them. They use their God given talents and abilities to create things and use those to make money and help their family. Again though, in this culture and what we are bombarded with, sometimes I think we THINK we need more money, when in reality we may just need to change how we live in order to be OK with what we have. This is something God has been really speaking to my heart on.
Again, these are my convictions and what I felt the Lord speaking to my heart about. I wanted to share. I am not saying EVERYONE in things like this act this way or only want more money. I am simply sharing my heart. Maybe it will help others, or make someone else think… the way my friend did for me. God bless.