So as to avoid this becoming a subject on multiple posts and difficult to track, please get the conversation going here.
*Important to note, the comments here do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the author, Mary Kay, or the Truth about God!
Is it good to talk about God while you are talking about Mary Kay?
Is it good to worship God together while at meeting?
Is it inappropriate to mix God and business?
I know some of you have already made brief mention of your feelings about this on the Pros/Cons post, but I would love to hear some full thoughts (including verses) that back up your position.
*Everyone please keep in mind that no one is trying to force their point of view on you, nor should you try to change anyone's view here. This is just a matter of expressing what YOU believe and seeing what other people believe. Relax, you might learn something. Ask questions if you want, and while I allow it other places and use it regularly myself, for THIS post only, NO SARCASM.
Ok, Go.
Posts
This was one of the things that really bugged me. I love God. I pray every day. We pray as a family before meals and at bedtime. We teach our children about God. He is known in our house. Every decision we make is given PRAYERFUL consideration. That said,
ReplyDeleteI think it is disrespectful to pray for material things that you do not need. I think it is disrespectful to pray to win an athletic game, to win the lotto, to win a grammy, an emmy, or to get a SCC. My director wanted to pray at my debut. I told her no. If someone wants to buy something, fine. Do not pray for that. Even if that isn't mentioned in the prayer, it just isn't the place. Pray for help, pray for wisdom, pray to be content with what you have. When Jesus gave us the model prayer at Matthew 6 starting in verse 9, he gave an example of what we should pray for. God's name to be sanctified, His will to be done, bread for TODAY, forgivness, resisting temptation, forgiving others. I think it is so disrespectful to pray at weekly MK meetings. It's not like at church where you are learning about Him. God does not endorse MK.
And if your mantra is God first, you'd better be holding yourself to a higher standard than what other businesses are held to.
I am not sure how praying about everything or anything is disrespectful to God? God wants a relationship with you where you pray about all things all the time. All decisions. So if being a director and having a debut or anything to do with your life, GOD is interested and he is listening. I pray all the time that my business is stronger, that through it, it will bring financial assistance to my family. I pray that any avenue I am in that I may HONOR God, even through Mary Kay. Mary Kay is a business (a rare few exist out there) that actually tell you that your life order should be God first, family second and work third. Praise God for Mary Kay and her opportunity. Don't be afraid to pray for success, God wants all his children to succeed. He wants the best for us all. God may not "endorse" Mary Kay...but he loves us because sinners we are all. I am sorry you feel it's disrespectful to pray at meetings. That isn't the whole list in Matthew 6, there is more that God wants you to pray for.
ReplyDeleteI realize that isn't the whole list. Most bible reading people know the list. Those were just a few, showing what our priorities should be.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is no doubt that God is interested in everything in our lives. But our concern should be putting HIM first. Everything that we do should be about His will and purpose, not our own goals and ambitions. Yes, we need to provide for our family's materially. And there is nothing wrong with praying for help in that matter. But praying for more than what we need is not in accordance with Jesus model prayer. And so many MK people say they are making money, not losing it. So why pray for more than you need? That is what I find disrespectful.
I think it is always a good time to pray. Maybe if we did more of this the world would be better off. I know that is a lofty ideal but it sure couldnt hurt. The only problem that I have about praying at the meetings is that there may be some there that are not believers and it may seem that religion is being shoved down thier throats. I think that maybe the directors should let people know that they can participate if they want to but they dont have to.
ReplyDeleteBut I believe that we should include God in EVERYTHING that we do. If you cannot include God in it, then I believe that that particular thing is wrong from the start or against his will to begin with. Being is business is not against God's will especially if you run a business with integrity. There is nothing wrong with asking for God to help you to run your business the right way or for the people that you come into contact with to see Christ in you. Being in business will put you in front of many people so why not take that opportunity to honor Christ? That is like saying you should only honor Christ or behave like a Christian if you are in church. A real ministry takes place outside of the church walls. I dont really believe that we should pray for sales or to outdo each other, but we should pray for the strength to do our best in whatever we undertake and give God the glory for whatever the outcome is, even if it is not what we had hoped for. This is how I see God in Mary Kay, to help us do our best and to help women in our path if its only to help them feel good about themselves while they are with us.
If you succeed in something, you should give God the glory. So when I hear directors and NSD's praising God for their accomplisments, that to me is the way it should be. God knows our desires and what we are working toward and hoping for, so if we achieve that certain thing, why not give Him the glory?
Judi you may not feel that God led you to Mary Kay and that is ok. I dont go around saying that God led me to MK either but who are we to say that someone else truely shouldnt feel that way? You dont know what is going on in the life of every woman who signs that agreement.
If you pray to the Lord for guidance or help in a certain area of your life, and because of your involvement with an agency, person or entity your prayers are answered, why not give God the credit? Why wouldnt you say that "God led me to Marykay" if truely because of your involvment with this company your life was made better in some way. Maybe that is hard for you to believe Judi because you cant imagine MK being good for anyone, but again I challenge you to not be so close minded and understand that maybe, just maybe there are women out there who LOVE their MK experience.
Leaving God out of certain parts of your life is like saying.."Ok God you can run this part only, I will get the rest.." That is when we get into trouble. As Christians we should let God and Christ into every part of our lives. God may not endorse MK as you say, but if MK is in the life of a Christian woman, then God will most likely be a part of HER MK business just as he is a part of every other thing in her life. If you let Christ into your life, then that means you let him into your WHOLE life, not just part of it. So anything else that is a part of your life (marriage, job, kids, business..) will be affected by your relationship with Him because He will become a part of that too.
I think Mary Kay was very intelligent when she recommended the God first family second and career third method. We at times automatically think she meant God as Christians know him to be, but MK has branced out to other countries where Christianity is not practiced, but God first can still be a part of it because it is god as any culture understands that to be. and i am sure they are still able to abide by that. I think it is just a way to remind people to run this business by some kind of moral compass. Will everyone abide by this? Sadly no but that doesnt meant that we shouldnt strive for it.
So God is a part of MY MK business, it is not mandatory but I prefer it this way.
Phillippians 4:6 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
I dont know what your director told you to pray for that day, but it sounds like to me that you dont have a problem with the act of praying but you had a problem with what you thought she wanted you to pray for. But the beauty of prayer is that you can go to God in your own way, your prayers dont have to echo the prayers of others who you think may only be material minded.
You can pray for strength, and wisdom to conduct your SCC the right way and to deal with your customers the right way. As long as you ask God to do his will and then pray for the attitude to accept his will in Jesus's name, then no prayer is the wrong prayer
Let me back up to say that my director would pray at her meetings that we all make a lot of money at our SCC!!!!! Then she would give a woot-woot, fist in the air. That is what I mean by disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteJudi all I can say is that I wish you had been in my unit.
ReplyDeleteMy director would have NEVER done that. I am with you, that WAS disrespectful.
But if you believe in putting God first, then you should do just that, so I dont have a problem with praying first before any function as long as everyone knows it is not mandatory. But we often pray for safe journey to and from the meetings, success in our business (whatever that may be) and for others to see Christ in us. When people are watching you and if they know you are a Christian then every move you make will be scutinized. So if I cheat someone or act inappropriatley it will not only leave a bad taste in peoples mouths about MK but also about Christainity as well.
Success in my business may be more money, it may be more opportunity to sell, it may be more referrals or bookings, who knows? I just have no problem nor do I think it is wrong to go into business and pray that God will help you find success according to his will. Aferall why would you go into business if not to succeed? Or should we start a business and say that we dont want God's help? Knowing that it is God that helps us succeed is what keeps us humble. Whenever we give ourselves all the credit, then that is when selfishness and arrogance creep in.
Yes i know that their are people misusing religion for their gain in MK and your director sounds like one of them (Lord help her!) But that still does not mean that God (in the right perspective) has no place in MK.
For the record we don't usually pray at our sales meetings unless someone is having a serious crisis in their lives (maybe once per year). We do pray at special events like retreats, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think we do have to be careful in this area. However, I hope that through my business I truly am able to touch lives and that God uses me to bring them closer to Him through what they see in me and through my relationship with them.
Mary Kay is not a religion, period.
However, I do think that having the flexibility that I do gives me more time for Bible studies, church, etc., plus again, I am raising my children, not someone else.
I do pray for my business and for those in my unit and downline. But, I try to pray that women will get what they need for themselves and their families and that clients will have a great time at a SCC and get things they need, not just for them to spend their money with me. I truly hope that women leave glad that they've spent time with me. I don't see anything wrong with that prayer.
I have seen God's hand in my business and have seen Him bless my business.
Good evening all. Well, this topic is right up my alley. I pray about everything everyday.
ReplyDeleteWhen my feet hit the floor in the morning I praise the Lord for another day. I thank him for my husband who is working in Iraq I pray for his safety. I thank Him for my precious gifts that He has given me charge over my twin daughters. I pray that He lets me live long enough to see them grown. I pray for my hair salon business and I pray for those that enter through the doors that He would bless those. I pray for my MK business that He would bless that also. I pray that His light would shine through me that people would see Jesus through me. I pray for my kids schools cause Lord knows they need it. That is one place that you can see that the Lord has been taken out of and what do we have kids going crazy and nothing being done.
My girls and I as we are driving to school pray for them and that everything that they touch would proper and that the Lord would lead and guide them. I pray for their teachers and that the Lord would go through the ramps and be there to protect these kids. I pray that my kids can be a light to a dark world.
Ok now scripture
!Thessalonians 5:16-17
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing
Mrk 11:23-26
23. Jesus talking...For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and yes shall have them.
25. And when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trepasses.
26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your treapasses.
Matthew 7:7-11
Jesus is speaking
7. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9, Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will be give him a stone?
10. Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
James 1: 5-8
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering. For he that waverth is like a wave of the driven with the wind and tossed.
7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Phillipians 4 4-7
4. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say Rejoice.
5. Let your moderations be know unto all men, The Lord is at hand
6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus.
Ok I could go on forever however I won't. Listen I am a Christain women and I love the Lord my God with all my heart and EVERYTHING I do I do with prayer. I want the Lord in every aspect of my life. I want people to know His Love and His Grace.
Have a GOOD EVENING
Some great thoughts guys, I was just revisiting an old favorite hymn of mine (see today's post) and thought it appropriate here.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy:
1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
* Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
If you have never heard this song or more importantly, the story behind it, I recommend you look it up. It will reset any misalignment of spirit you may be experiencing. I know I need it often!
RE: Religion in MK. I am of the opinion that if you as an individual have a belief structure that is important to you, you should be free to practice that in your business as well. Especially if it is YOUR business. If you recruit someone that is uncomfortable with that, why should you be the one to change? If they don't want to partake, they can go work for someone else. It seems strange to me that owners of companies are being expected to not only accommodate people that believe differently than them, but also required to adjust their policies for them. It is YOUR business, you should be allowed to run it as you see fit. (with certain obvious limitations).
thanks all
You all are utterly amazing!!! Im glad people here not afraid to talk about God.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteI am with you we have to change because someone doesn't agree with what we believe. Why do we have to change? We don't ask others to do that however because we are Christain they want us too. Not going to happen with me. I will not compromise my believes for anyone or anything. I know in whom I have believed and I am fully prusaded that He will keep all I have committed.
Oh other hymns that I love:
Amazing Grace
The Old Rugged Cross
I think the best one of all
Jesus Love Me....Kid song however I love it.
HAVE A GREAT DAY
I've been in Mary Kay for a lot of years and am sometimes asked by friends how I function in an organization that is so outspoken about their love of God. I think there are plenty of women in Mary Kay that aren't but everyone else's choice to pray or not. Not all folks opposed to prayer are suing schools and protesting at Seminar. Mary Kay was a giving, loyal, intelligent woman and she draws women with similar traits to her company even now that she's passed away, without regard for their religous beliefs.
ReplyDeleteLovingMK,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think it is true. It is not difficult to maintain your values (Christian or otherwise) without "forcing" them on others.
Conversely, I think that if you join an organization whose values are different than yours, (I.E. Organization has Christian values and you do not) it is your responsibility to operate within their values. Or leave.
I think most people live and operate this way. "We" are the so-called silent majority. Common sense reigns and respect for each other holds sway. But how frustrating that because of a few loud, outspoken individuals on each side, the rest of us must stammer out ridiculously long disclaimers about how we don't intend to offend anyone, but...!
Did you hear about this kid at Princeton that kicked his own @$$ after threatening himself?
I think he was a "conservative" and created fake threats from "liberals" and then carried those threats out on himself. If I understand correctly, he smashed his own face against a wall and broke a glass bottle over his head (among other things).
I would like to start another blog that is basically a call back to common sense. Someday.
Anyway, thanks!