Friday, September 08, 2017

You Don't Want To..... "You don't want to buy any Life Insurance, do you?

That sentence was spoken to me by a Hartford Life Insurance Field Rep, one day in the late 1960's. He had called on the Insurance Agency in which I was employed, as we represented the Hartford ... the guys with the stag in the commercials. Most Property - Casualty insurers have what's called a "life insurance pup" ... a subsidiary company to sell life insurance. The theory is that, since P&C agents have all those hundreds of clients buying homeowners and car insurance, and all those folks need life insurance, it'd be a natural tie-in.

It really isn't, but I figured I'd give it a shot and started asking customers that question. And I sold about a million dollars of the stuff in the next 90 days.

Then I moved to another city. But the point stuck with me.

What John had told me, that got me interested, was this: That question ... "You don't want to buy any life insurance, do you?" ... was the worst possible way to get someone to talk about life insurance. Well, other than not saying anything at all. But, if we asked it, at least they'd know we could talk about it, if they happened to be interested.

Boy, did it ever work!!

Now: I took some training in witnessing ... and living as a Christian in general ... in 1970. In it, we learned a new ... for us ... way to start a conversation about Spiritual matters. It involved certain questions, followed by a presentation of a few scriptures in a certain effective manner. And it was sure effective! The first time I shared the scriptures, it was before a Sunday School class in a Boy's Prison, and 6 young men ... teenaged felons ... prayed to be saved.

In the presence of 20 other felons who didn't! AND we were supposed to be sharing the plan that month with believers, as we hadn't yet been told what to do if someone wanted to be saved.

SOOOOO: In a world where Christians are largely reluctant to share the Gospel, I wonder if the same sort of question wouldn't work, for witnessing, too. Plus, I think what God holds us responsible for is what we have seen and heard.

After all, the definition of a witness is "A person who has had a first-hand experience, about which they are called upon to give direct testimony".

And witness Peter and John, as reported in Acts 4:20. After numerous threats by the Pharisees, and being told not to speak of Jesus, they responded:

"As for us, we cannot help but speak of the things we have seen and heard!"

So, back to my statement. What we're responsible for is what we know ... which is what we've seen and heard. Now it may be true that the plethora of witnessing "plans" has too many Christians feeling like they don't know enough to share Jesus with a non-believer. But consider Peter and John ... they had no Bible, only a personal experience, and they were happy to talk about it.

We have more than they had. We have the same Spirit they had, and we have the written Word of God. And a ton more resources than those guys could have dreamed of.

I have to believe the same question would work, as respects Spiritual matters, that worked in selling Life Insurance. I mean, the "Life Insurance" of eternal salvation is WAY better than anything Hartford Life Insurance Company ever sold!

Next time you're confronted with an opportunity to speak to a lost person, why not ask the question:

"You don't want to talk about Jesus, do you?"

Unless, of course, you are the one who doesn't.
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