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Do you have 'enough' Jesus?

 

“Oh – I already have insurance”

 

There it was: the objection. It was one of many in the list of objections we were introduced to in our training. Moreover, it was the toughest one. Correction – it was the second toughest. Often I would sit across the table with a client and discuss the ins and outs of their financial plan (or lack thereof) and eventually we would arrive at the part of the plan that they understood the least, and avoided the most - had the least and needed the most; Life Insurance.
More often I would deal with the fact that they had none. A quick lesson on the why’s and how’s of the insurance product, an illustration or two of how it would be used, and soon enough we would be placing a new product into their financial portfolio. I learned early on that proper educating on the function of the product ensured a long term client, content to maintain their plan and also content to remain specifically my client. But here we were, in the throws of financial plan review, when it finally could be avoided no longer… “do you have any life insurance?”. My question came not from me but a review sheet that I had designed to take the client through their plan with no perceived opinion on my part. It was the next question on the sheet and we merely needed to fill in the amount of coverage they had in order to input the information into our company’s computer program.
“Oh – I already have life insurance”.
The objection was stated in such a way so as to move on without dealing with the subject. It was typical of a person who had obtained some coverage because someone had told them they should, often with some forceful sales technique. They did not really understand why they needed it, usually did not appreciate its benefits, and often purchased it in order to get the pushy sales guy to leave them alone. They viewed it as a separate product from their financial plan all together and saw no reason to review it. But I was prepared! I quickly pulled a separate form from my briefcase and laid it on the table with the wording facing the client.
“Oh – so you’d be familiar with this sheet then?”
It was a one page review specifically for insurance coverage. Down the left side were categories of the stages of one’s life: Funeral Expense, Debt Cancellation, Education Expense, Income Replacement… on and on it went, listing all the things people have to deal with when someone passes away. Down the right side was a space to list the amount of money that would be necessary to meet each obligation should the plan holder pass away. It was titled A Needs Analysis. By filling out the spaces the client would be aware of how much insurance was adequate and what it would be used for.
Of course the answer came back no. It always did, probably because I had also created this sheet. There were other’s using similar documents to collect such required information, but there was no industry standard form and so we all made up our own. In the majority of cases there had been no fact finding questionnaire to aide the client in acquiring an insurance product and that is why they had no idea what the product was for. Hence the objection I was currently facing.
“I’ve had insurance for quite some time now, I really just need to round out my portfolio with some savings products.”
Of course most people understand saving money, and they feel good when they do it. But typically they buy insurance out of guilt and pressure, they do it as a way of “taking care of business” so to speak – there that’s done, fewf! Now on to the fun stuff.
“that’s great”
Encouragement is the best way to defuse a tense situation.
“Part of my responsibility here is to assure that you know what you have, that you understand it and that you are content with it. If we simply fill out this short form it will tell you how much coverage you should carry. That way if you are carrying too much you can reduce it and use the savings to enhance your savings plan!…” (big smile appearing on clients face – we like to have more for us!) “… and if you don’t have enough you will have the opportunity to make some corrections to your plan before it’s too late.”
(smile now leaving clients face)
“Oh – I have lots of coverage. I don’t remember how much, but it was like $5000.00!
When we don’t understand what we have we’d rather not discuss it with someone who does.
“Alright then, we’ll just run through the sheet, I have an obligation to at least fill it out, and then you can compare it to what you have later. If you need to make any changes you can call me then. Does that sound fair?”
AH! The pressure is off!
“Ya – that’s a good idea”
What happens next is almost predictable to the word. 11 minutes later we have filled in the form. Most of the time was spent educating the client on how the insurance policy would be used. Now add up the right hand column. $ 123 000.00!
• Client – “is it really that much?”
• Agent – “uh huh”
• Client – “that’s too much”
• Agent – “what would you like to take off?”
• Client – “ummm…”
• Agent –“ how about the mortgage?”
• Client – “no – I don’t want to loose the house”
• Agent – “how about the income replacement?”
• Client – “no –I don’t want to have to go back to work until the kids are in school”

 

With the main objection in the distant past I enjoy a small victory lap by suggesting that our work here is done, and begin to pack up my things. After all, the client had plenty of coverage; right?
“Wait! Shouldn’t we do something about the lack of coverage?”
(a small bit of concern rising in the clients voice)
“Well, I guess, sure, if that is what you want to do”
(big smile forming inside my head)

 

Several years later, as I sit behind my computer screen and prepare lesson after lesson for a Sr. High Sunday School class, I am beginning to see why God had me endure the training that the world prides itself on in the financial industry. Although it is a greedy, selfish, unloving industry (in general) the issues that are faced by agents day after day are not that different than the issues faced by those who are trying to promote another type of provision.
Salvation.
Each week I start fresh in the attempt to illustrate the need for putting Christ first in our lives. Each week I review past conversations, actions, interests, and habits of the young people in my class in an effort to determine what makes them tick. Not at all dissimilar to the process of learning what made my clients tick in the financial arena. My main objective then was to instill in the client:
1) an understanding of their problem and
2) an urgency to make provision for it.
In doing so I became familiar with the main objections and how to overcome them.
Now, as I apply this knowledge to the message of Christ, I am beginning to recognize the main objections for accepting Christ and putting Him first.
As in financial planning, the most common problem I see in relaying the need for Christ is the lack of understanding and the desire to avoid. Just park yourself on the bus for an afternoon and try to talk about Christ. Avoidance is easiest. How many of us avoid the Jehovah’s Witness we see on the street? (or the person peddling credit cards at the store entrance!)
But I have come to recognize that the greatest struggle – check that - second greatest struggle in sharing the message of Christ and the new life He provides, is the objection of the “saved” person. The scripture calls them the ‘so called Christian’ or ‘those who call themselves Christians’.
“Oh – I already have Jesus in my heart”
The scripture has page after page of checklists, just like the one I used for insurance, which we can use to verify if we actually do have Jesus in our life. (or maybe “enough” Jesus in our life?)
In a recent class I inquired of my students: who was going to heaven? They all raised their hands. Then I asked them: What is the proof that you are going to heaven?
In the secular world we have learned not to “take one’s word for it”, but rather we have learned about “contracts”, “agreements”, “legislation”, “bylaws” and many other ways to verify if a person is indeed meeting the requirements agreed to in order to receive compensation. We have down payments, security deposits, receipts, accounting and audits to verify and protect our transactions.
Ok – I know we don’t earn heaven (Eph 2:8-10) and I am not suggesting that certain actions reverse your salvation. However, in light of 1 John 2:3 – 6 I am certain that there are evidences, like receipts, to prove that the transaction of exchanging our lives for Christ’s life, has indeed occurred (or is occurring).
Why 1 John? It has some key terminology to reinforce our true situation. Verse 3 of chapter 2 says: And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. (NLT) To the unbeliever, or the immature in Christ, this may come across somewhat legalistic. And, to be sure, it is quite often taught in such a manner. But to those who long to understand and strive to be close to Christ, there is an understanding that it is impossible to fulfill the law, it is impossible in the flesh to obey every command which is why Christ came and provided another way to salvation. Moreover, the person craving pure spiritual milk will come to a realization that we, in our own strength, cannot accomplish anything! This is what makes this verse so powerful and exclusive. Christ in us is more than capable of obeying His commandments. If we are obeying his commandments it is only because he is in us, completing that work himself through us. This is the evidence of His presence in us.
If that was not pressure enough, verse 4 elaborates in order to eliminate any confusion about this evidence: if someone says, ‘I belong to God’, but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. Only God can live the life he has called us to. He lives it through us. We cannot simply choose to obey God’s commandments. It is something that he enables us to do when he has taken up residence in our life. Yes, I’m saying that we cannot obey God’s commandments! That is why our obedience is evidence of his presence in our lives. This is the same principal that enables us to “be holy for I am holy, says the Lord”. It is also the same principal that enables us to “love one another”.
It has become so easy to simply dismiss salvation questions with the pat answer “ I asked Jesus into my heart”. More often then not I have discovered that the “saved” person has no real understanding or appreciation for what that product is supposed to do for them. (or to them) They did the deed as instructed, prayed the sinner’s prayer, went to church and got baptized. There, done. Now on with the rest of my life.
And so they move on to their education, career, marriage, retirement etc. with no real concern for the product they have signed up for. I believe that is why 1 John 3:4-10 was included.: 4Those who sin are opposed to the law of God, for all sin opposes the law of God. 5And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in him. 6So if we continue to live in him, we won't sin either. But those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is.7Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8But when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the Devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil. 9Those who have been born into God's family do not sin, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the Devil. Anyone who does not obey God's commands and does not love other Christians[a] does not belong to God.
Focus for a minute on the last half of verse 6 –
“…those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is.”
This is where the similarity between the “saved” person and the under-insured person lies. Do our children sit in Sunday school classes each week and fail to “hear” the spirit, fail to retain the truth, and have no desire to apply it in their lives because of their lack of understanding of who Christ is and what he can do in their lives?
Have they been sold on the idea that they should be “saved” so they can go to heaven, and to make the pushy salesman leave them alone (mom & dad, or pastor, youth leader, friend, Ss teacher) they did the “deed”, got the policy, signed up? Just don’t try to review it with them.

 

Our team of Sunday school teachers desire to ensure this is not the foundation we are laying. So we do what we do, introduce children to a saving relationship with Christ.
Please consider partnering with us in this effort. It is eternally rewarding!

 

So – what was the MOST difficult objection I faced?? It was the person who understood their situation, but didn’t care.