A few years ago, I started working for a direct sales business on the side. I began this venture because our oldest child is going off to college this fall, and I knew we would need to have some extra income to help her. I really did not have any expectations going into it. I believe it was the Lord Who led me to it, and He had much bigger plans for it than I did.
I am a very introverted person by nature. I am perfectly content with being a wallflower. My dad, on the other hand, thought that I should be the center of attention and the star of everything. Thanks to his prodding while I was growing up, no one really knows now that I am shy and introverted. I know how to put myself out there, but it is very draining and often overwhelming. I am happy to report that my side business has been helping in this area as well. Besides the financial blessings that have come from it, I have established some friendships that I would not have made otherwise. However, the biggest blessing of all is that it has helped me to be a bolder soulwinner.
I am always amazed at the unusual ways that God will teach us lessons. I always have said that one thing I would never do was anything dealing with sales. I also said that I would never be a soulwinner. (That was before I was saved; but nonetheless, I said it.) God had other plans for me. I am still astonished at the lessons I have learned from my side business that have helped me be a better soulwinner. Let me share one of those lessons.
A few weeks ago, I was listening to a training course. In my business, we do many sales parties (virtual and/or in-home). The hostess earns rewards from the products that her guests buy. I am considered a stylist. The training course was teaching how to get a hostess to become a stylist before her party starts. The benefit to this is that the hostess then earns not only rewards from her guests’ purchases but also commissions. The benefit for me is that I grow my team. The more I grow my team, the more potential I have to increase in rank (much like the military). With the rank advancements come different benefits. As I listened to the training, I thought the idea was great but decided that it was out of my comfort zone and that I most likely would never do it.
Fast forward to about a week and a half later. I was getting ready to start a party on Friday. On Thursday, my hostess was messaging her guests and posting things on social media to encourage them to try samples and buy products. I was hesitant, but on the off chance that she would take the opportunity, I messaged her and said that she could definitely do my job. I mentioned that we could flip her party to a launch party and finished the message with two “winky” faces. She replied with “Wait, what?” I explained more details to her. I mentioned that she could still earn the hostess rewards, but on top of that, she could get paid. To my complete and utter surprise, she said yes. I still cannot believe that she said yes!
In my business, I have a task—to offer the opportunity. I am not responsible for the outcome of people either accepting or rejecting it, but I am just supposed to offer it. In this instance, I witnessed what can happen if I just offer the opportunity. If my hostess would have said no, nothing would have changed. We would have continued with her party. She would have earned the rewards, and I would have earned the commissions. However, because I offered her the opportunity, her life was changed. She now is able earn the commissions and the rewards, and I have the joy of helping her succeed in this business.
When soulwinning, there is one task—simply to ask the question. The soulwinner is not responsible for the response. When we share the opportunity for salvation with lost sinners, we are offering them the ability to change their lives. We are offering them the opportunity to have a home in Heaven and to use their lives to serve the Lord and gain eternal rewards. If they reject our offer, nothing changes for us. Yes, we may walk away saddened by their choice, but we are still Heaven-bound. The difference between life and death is simply us offering the opportunity; it is us just asking. We may immediately think, “What if they say no?” However, what we really should be considering is this: “What if they say yes?” We have the ability to change lives by simply asking a question, so why would we not ask?
Even after asking, we should not consider our job complete. Within my business, we are taught that the word no is not a definite. It might mean “not right now” and that we should offer the opportunity again at a later time. We are also taught to guide and to coach those who say yes. Just as I help to coach those in my business to become successful, we should take the time to help newborn Christians grow in their “new business.” Instead of leaving them to figure out things on their own, we can be there to coach and to guide them. There will be great joy and lasting benefits from helping others grow in Christ. I would be ashamed of myself if I put forth the effort to grow and develop my business here on earth but did nothing to help the greatest work—the work of God.
If we do not ask, the answer is automatically no; but if we do ask, we have no idea who might say yes. It could be the next Jack Hyles, Tom Neal, or Fanny Crosby. The Bible says, …ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:2) I hope we will remember to simply offer the opportunity of Heaven!
by Crystal Collingsworth
