The other day I checked the blog of a
young friend. By young, I mean my son's age – in her twenties. She
enjoys dabbling in art and was asked by her mother-in-law to create a
logo for her mother-in-law's new venture, a Christian weight loss
program. As I sat there looking at some of the sketches which she had
posted, several thoughts came to mind. The first was, what exactly
does this woman mean by Christian weight loss program? Is this a
business venture where she is going to collect money from clients or
just a free community class that she is volunteering to oversee? If
it is a business venture in which she plans on collecting money, I
would have to ask, why is Christ being used to market this new
business venture? If she needs a logo, then it would seem that this
is more than just a bunch of people from the church getting together
to use the same diet technique, have weigh-ins, and possibly exercise
together under her instruction. One does not need a logo for that. An
announcement in the church bulletin would suffice. From the need for
the business logo, I suspect it might be one of those adult education
classes that are offered all over the place for fees, like basket
weaving or cake decorating. Or possibly she is opening a weight loss
center.
Then I have to follow up that question
with, what makes this weight loss program “Christian?” Losing
weight is not a concept taught in the Scriptures as a part of our
living and abiding in the Lord. It is not mentioned anywhere. Does
part of this program require that people have to pray and use
Scriptures to encourage their effort? This is not a bad thing in and
of itself. Or is it a weight loss program only for Christians and
others are not being welcomed or at least expected to come, which
would make sense if she does require prayer and Scripture reading as
part of the program, for non-Christians would be offended by this.
That would, however, be a serious curtailment to any monetary gains
as a business, if this is what she has planned. If the idea is that
this is to be a ministry, does that not defeat the purpose, by
ostracizing non-Christians right at the start by prominently
announcing that it is essentially a “closed” club for Christians? Have we become
an elitist country club rather than followers of Christ?
Finally I have to ask, why does she
want a logo in which, according to my young friend's post, she
required the cross as part of the logo? Could she not imply the
Christian atmosphere by giving it a name which conveyed that idea?
The sketches, which I found very offensive, included things such as a
cross with a tape measure wrapped around it and a cross on top of
some scales.
I don't know how you, the reader, feels
about this, but I am terribly offended. I do not care to see my Lord
used as a marketing tool for someone's business, whether it is
lucrative (which makes it even worse) or not. I am not a big fan of
using the cross to represent our Lord to begin with, for it was an
instrument of torture. Would we so proudly display a guillotine
around our neck or in our ears, if that were how our Savior died? I
doubt it. Why do we so proudly display a graven image of the
instrument of His horrible death? This has puzzled me for a long
time. But that is another topic for another time. The fact is,
Christianity does use this logo, and if it is going to use it, should
it not be treated with a modicum of respect and not used as a cutesy
picture to combine with some other object to market a business
venture? That just seems blasphemous to me. In my eyes it is treating it with at least flippancy, if not
mockery, just as the world does.
People may convince themselves that by
putting the cross on or with something in a picture or logo, it is a witness of that
person's faith. I do not believe it is. I see it as cheapening the
great sacrifice that was made on that cross by combining it with some
marketable venture, making the cross of Christ a part of the god,
mammon. What does a tape measure have to do with our salvation? Will
losing inches save your soul? Will bringing the number on the scale
down a few or more pounds give you eternal life? How dare we try to
sell our merchandise with our faith as its companion.
This brings us to the real problem. Why
are so many people marketing the gospel? When did God's Word become
merchandise? Some of the biggest businesses going are these mega
churches. The pastors of these churches, in many cases, live like
millionaires. Who has not heard of the gold-plated faucets in the
home of one former so-called Christian TV preacher? How many of these
televangelists ask you to send in your money for this, that, or
something else, which has nothing to do with bringing the gospel to
the world, but fills their pockets, while making the sender feel that
they will have their prayers for miracles of either perfect health,
or financial success beyond their wildest dreams answered as a
result? Even those who are not the well-known TV personalities, the
little guys with their blogs and self-published Bible commentary
e-books, want a little piece of the pie. (I can understand having to
charge for printed books to cover the cost of printing. Unless you
are a millionaire and can afford to give them away, it is necessary.)
Instead of freely giving, because God has freely given to us, they
ask you to sign up and pay a fee to access their opinions and
teachings. Where does it say, “Go into all the world and preach the
gospel, but make sure they pay up front before you tell them what you
think I had to say.” Quite honestly if a person charges to access
their “truths,” online, I make a quick and hasty retreat. I know
where I can get the truth free of charge. It's called the Bible. You
don't even have to buy one these days. The Bible is online for all to
access. And there are some ministries that still hand out Bibles for
free. Are we so money hungry and driven that we feel we need to
charge people for our views of what the Bible says? And in many cases
I am sure that many of these people are not giving the truth anyhow,
for if they were truly only concerned about getting out God's truth,
would they feel comfortable charging for it? The excuse is, Paul said
the shepherd is worthy of his hire.
1 Corinthians 9:11-14 “If we have
sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap
your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you,
are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but
suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye
not know that they which minister about holy things live of the
things of the temple? and they which wait at the alter are partakers
with the alter? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which
preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”
1 Timothy 5:17-18 “Let the elders
that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they
who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou
shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer
is worthy of his reward.”
When Paul wrote
that, he was speaking of people who are in full-time ministry in the
sense that they are either pastors, missionaries, or the like. He
meant people who spend all their time taking care of the needs of the
flock spiritually and otherwise, people who are shepherds and who
have personal relationships with the people to whom they minister.
People with blogs, like myself, or people who write e-books (Bible
commentary types, not fiction), no matter how much time they may
spend at it, (and I have spent a great deal of time studying and
researching) are not shepherds of flocks. We are merely sharing the
gospel or other of our insights or information on God's Word. Most of
us do it simply because we enjoy sharing what we have learned about
God and His Word. That does not merit being paid for our service. And
it certainly does not merit us putting a price on our knowledge and
forcing people to buy it if they want to know it. Some people's
“knowledge” is most certainly not worth a penny, as it is
completely unScriptural. Nor do I think we should set up a store of
merchandise to accompany our Bible teachings. Is that any different
from putting a bookstore in the church? We are still trying to make a
penny off the Lord's Word by hoping that those that come for our
“words of wisdom” will also spend money at our shop. Should we
really be combining our ministry with a business venture? Is that any
different from the woman above who wants to combine her weight loss
program with Christianity to market it? Will the Lord bless our
ministry if we do that?
When did we stop
depending on the Lord to supply our needs by being faithful, and feel
we need to supply our needs all by ourselves by marketing Him? Have
we forgotten what God's Word says?
Philippians
4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Psalm
37:4 “Delight thyself
also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Before you place a
cross on a logo, or advertise your business or self as a Christian
(some people plaster stickers on their cars advertising their
Christianity then drive like maniacs), think about two things - 1) are
you using the Lord to sell something and 2) will people really see
Christ in what you are doing and how you are presenting yourself and
your business or whatever you are connecting Him to? Or will you
bring shame upon the name of Christ? Remember what Jesus did to the
merchandisers in the temple and what He said to them.
Matthew
21:12-13 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast
out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold
doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called
the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
We are
presently the temple of God.
1
Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile
the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are.”
Have
we made ourselves dens of thieves? What does God say He will do to
those who defile the temple? It's something to consider.
