Selling In The Name Of...

By Scott Wetzel

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”  Exodus 20:7 (NIV)

 “What do you think it means to take the Lord’s name in vain?”   It was a strange question posed to me by my friend, Michael.  He’s not a believer, but he did go to a youth group as a teenager and it ended with a giant failure on the part of his pastor.  Though the belief I hold dear to my heart is generally a string of unending jokes to him, this was a serious question among the sarcastic “Hallelujahs” he’ll shout once in awhile. 

 “Do you believe it’s saying (expletive)?  What about someone that sells something in the name of God?”

 I’d never though of it this way before.  I’d always heard that we don’t say “God” or “Jesus” unless we are referring to our Creator and Savior and we shouldn’t.  That’s about reverence and honor.  But how honorable is it to sell something by putting a Christian fish on it?  As a case in point, look at the Christian Yellow Pages.  It’s a phone book of businesses that claim to be Christians, so you can support Christians.  I guess we can find some justification in this.  It’s putting money into businesses that will tithe it and more money will go into the body of Christ.  I guess we automatically assume that all Christians are wise with their money and generous with their giving.

First off, I don’t believe we’re doing Jesus a favor by only purchasing from a Christian.  We’re called to be a light in the darkness, but how will we ever be that light when we avoid the world?  We should be out in the world chatting with our barbers, grocers, and baristas no matter what faith they are.  We need to be generous with our tips because we are not called to horde our money, but give generously in every occasion (2 Cor. 9:10-11).  That includes when we assume someone will be unwise with it.  Building relationships with the people you purchase from is a great way to share the gospel.  The more you patronize a store, the more a clerk or store owner trusts YOU.

 Second, my friend was right.  Selling in the name of God is almost always done for profit.  I know I’m walking a really tight line here, but stay with me.  If we put a fish or a cross somewhere on our business card, we know that there is a segment of the population that will use our business because of that.  I made the mistake recently of mentioning that I was moonlighting as a youth pastor while I was making a sales call at a church.  I didn’t do it so I could be a witness, I did it to make a sale.  I got back to my car and the Holy Spirit hit me with a conviction.  I was using His name to increase my sales numbers.  His name is for glory.  His name is for power.  His name is for eternity.  But His name isn’t for monetary gain.  The poor in spirit, not the best salesman, will be given the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I believe there is something incredible about putting forth honest business practices in a world where the unethical seem to reign supreme.  Working with the unbeliever keeps us in line (why would we ruin our witness?), and it gives us a chance to SHOW what Jesus is like. As we build relationships with our clients, we begin to show them what it’s really like to follow the Way.  

 This is not a call to abandon our belief system where we work.  This is a call to be intentional about our motivations within our businesses.  It’s not wrong to make money, but it might be to use God’s name to do it