Network Marketing and Christianity - What's The Turn-Off?

Having been involved in network marketing off and on since the early 80's, I understand many of the challenges involved. In fact, I decided I was not a salesperson and totally gave up on the idea of a network marketing home based business in 1986. It seemed I couldn't quite master the art of instilling the same enthusiasm I had with others.

Then, 3 1/2 years ago, my husband Ed, a retired USAF officer who worked as a realtor after his retirement, was at his wit's end. After our move to SC, he was not happy with the real estate business and had taken a job as a retail store manager. While surfing the internet looking for something better, Ed found a website describing a home business opportunity.

We have been conducting this business ever since. This experience has given me the opportunity to examine this business model for its good points as well as its not-so-good ones. Network marketers know that only 2 - 5% of the people they talk to are willing to get started. Of that number, roughly the same percentage experience any lasting success. The question is "Why? What's the turn-off in this business?"

I got some insight into this answer in church this morning. It occurred to me that Christianity is also a network marketing business. We hear the message and either accept it and share it with others, or we turn around and run the other way. The reasons people run away from both opportunities are the same.

Most people in industrialized countries know both Christians and network marketers. Many people have actually "tried" one or both out to see if it is real. What they hear from either one may sound too good to be true. Or maybe they've read negative things about both groups, or they know people who got involved and were disappointed. Perhaps leaders misled them or didn't measure up to their expectations. Maybe they felt like they were lied to or that the representatives turned out to be hypocrites.

Regardless of the perceived experience, they developed mistrust for either Christianity or network marketing. Of course, millions of people have had wonderful, life changing experiences with Christianity. Millions have also been able to earn great incomes and help others do the same in home business ventures.

I don't seek to equate Christian faith with a business except to say that we were created as both spiritual and physical beings. We develop relationships with each other and seek to share what we learn in order to help others. My purpose in life is to open people's eyes to possibilities. I look for the positive in situations and people. As a result, I have a deep seated faith in God and believe He created us for abundance.

When I look at the world, I see abundance everywhere. When I study Scripture, I see wealthy patriarchs. In fact, when the Israelites, who had become slaves during their 400-year stay in Egypt, followed Moses into the wilderness, they received expensive gifts from the Egyptians to take with them. God did not deliver them in a state of poverty but rather in one of wealth. There is no evidence that God considers poverty to be the ideal human condition.

My question today is why does one person's enthusiastic belief in something trigger skepticism in someone else? It's sad to know that many people won't even consider something that could bring huge benefits to themselves and their families because of skepticism, which means the fear of being disappointed.

In my quest to open people's minds to life's possibilities, I seek to be a non-threatening, honest, communicator of the truth as I know it. By the grace of God and through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as His son and my savior, I have eternal life. Because I believe that wealth is also a blessing to be shared and not a curse, I choose to work a business that gives me the freedom to live the life I was created to live. What I want for myself, I want for others.