The Vocation of
Customer
Have you
ever thought about being a customer? I'm
sure you have. Especially as the
Christmas season is quickly approaching, in fact you see the stores are getting
all their Christmas merchandise out. But
you are a customer relying on other to provide what you cannot make. You are always buying things. You go to grocery stores, department stores,
gas stations, let alone all the different entertainment opportunities. The family budget is getting tighter as costs
rise and your income can't keep up with it.
Every single business is clamoring for your business. They are trying to please the owners or
stockholders. And so they are trying to
please you.
But do
you also realize that being a customer is vocation? What's a vocation? We often think of vocation as the job you
do. But for the Christian you have many
vocations. Your vocation is your station
in life. Are you a husband, wife, son or
daughter? Are you a neighbor or a
friend? In all these things and more you
do good works.
But
maybe the first question that must be asked is why should you be doing
works? Paul says very clearly in
Ephesians 2:10, "For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them." But it is not the good works that save
us. In fact it is important that we
recognize that while the Christian does good works, it is not the good works
that save us, which is why what Paul says in verse 8 and 9 is so
important. He says, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a
result of works, so that no one may boast." You are saved not because of any decisions
you have made nor your assistance in salvation but purely by the grace of your
heavenly Father who has blessed you with the gift of Jesus who became man for
you. He lived the perfect life,
suffered, went to the cross and truly died and rose from the dead so that you
may be saved.
So You are saved by grace, who cares if you do good
works? Who cares how you act in this
world? James speaks to this very clearly the good works
you do show how faith has been created in you. He says in James 2:26, "For
as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is
dead." Our Works do not
save but show that faith is alive and well in us.
Another
way to understand that the Christian has a vocation as a customer is to
understand the third use of the Law.
There are three uses of the Law: curb, mirror and guide. A brief explanation is that the curb and
mirror are for all people. The first use
of the Law, the curb is what helps keep the world in order. Every nation has the law: you shall not
murder. This is done for the purposes of
providing order in the country. The
mirror shows you your sin. An example of
this is marriage. While this is
definitely a topic for another post, this is why you see so many people
defending living together outside of marriage and homosexual
"marriage." The people who
support and propose such sins are attempting to justify the sin because the
mirror of the law tells them they are to be in committed relationships and
rather than confess the guilt, and repent of their sin.
But the
important part of our discussion is the third use of the Law: the guide. The guide is only for the Christian. This is because only the Christian has the
law fully revealed to him, and sees that he needs Christ to die for his sin. Only then does the Christian begin to
joyfully, willingly begin to live according to the Law. This was discussed in article six of the
Formula of Concord, which is part of our Lutheran Confessions.
We read, "The difference (in keeping the Law),
however, is in the words, because there is a difference in the people who strive
to live according tot his Law and will of God.
For as long a person is not regenerate and guides himself according to
the Law, he does the works because they are commanded. So from fear of punishment or desire for reward, he is still under the Law. His works are properly called by St. Paul
'works of the Law' (Rom 3:20), for they are extorted by the Law, like the works
of slaves. These are 'saints' after the
order of Cain (Jude 11). When a person
is born anew by God's Spirit, liberated from the Law and led by Christ's
Spirit, he lives according to God's unchangeable will revealed in the Law. Since he is born anew, he does everything
from a free, cheerful spirit. These
works are not properly called 'works of the Law,' but works and 'fruit of the
Spirit' (Galatians 5:22). Or as St. Paul
names it, 'the law of the mind' (Romans 7:23) and the 'law of Christ' (1
Corinthians 9:21). For such people are
no longer under the Law, but under grace, as St. Paul says in Romans 8:2.
Believers are not completely renewed in this world. The old Adam clings to them right up to the
grave. Therefore, the struggle between
the spirit and the flesh remains in them…Nevertheless, they are not under
(Romans 6:14), but in the Law. They live
and walk in the Law of the Lord, and yet do nothing in the Law because of
force. " (FC SD VI 16-18)
Now
what's the point? What does this have to
do with you as a customer in a store?
Well, in writing this one must understand the purpose of good works
amongst Christians. For without Christ
nothing you do is good, for as we read in Romans 3:10-12, "None
is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have
turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even
one.” Thanks be to
God that because of Christ you are saved as you read earlier. It is he alone who suffered and died for all
your sin. He was baptized in your sin,
and bore them all the way to the cross, dying for them.
Because
we do sin so today I will begin to teach you how we sin as a customer. You've no doubt heard the saying, "The customer
is always right." It is unfortunately at this very statement that you are
led to sin. This very statement leads
you to think you are the most important.
Which is a fundamental breaking of the 1st commandment: You shall have no other Gods. And when we
allow the stores to think that we are the most important we come to the
conclusion that we can get away with anything as well.
It leads you
to break the seventh commandment as well: You shall not steal. Now maybe you argue that you have never
stolen anything. Which may be true, but
yet there are many other ways we break the commandment. Have you demanded that a store accept your
expired coupon? Have you ever switched
the merchandise in a box? Have you ever
demanded the attention of the employees and treated them poorly by yelling at
them or complaining when they weren't at your immediate availability when you wanted
something? Have you returned products
after you have used them? Have you ever
left merchandise laying around, thrown trash on the floor, have you knocked
merchandise off of a hanger, unfolded more clothes, put the products where they
don't belong. And I'm sure there are
more examples.
How is
this breaking the seventh commandment?
Luther says, What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money
or property, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income. When we act like we are the most important we
have not only treated the store poorly, but our fellow shoppers poorly and your
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ with contempt by spurning his gift of forgiveness
by your sinful behavior. In all these ways we seek to deprive the store of
making a profit. We force the store to
spend more money to deliver the product, which may also lead them to not treat
their employees with the integrity and worth they deserve because of what the
customer demands.
And thus
as you willfully sin you abandon your vocation as customer. This God-given station in life has been
rejected because you now see yourself as God.
You no longer stand liberated from the demands of the Law but instead
cling to the old Adam inherited through original sin. And this is why the Christian does not live
just under the 3rd use of the Law but under the 1st and 2nd uses as well. We need to be kept aware that stealing has
consequences: jail time and price increases.
The Law shows us our sin as well showing us that when we mistreat our
fellow shoppers and the employees and owners of stores we realize that we are
nailing Christ to the cross, scourging him with our sins.
But
realize this fellow consumer, you are a Christian, so Jesus calls you to seek
out your pastor and confess your sins, and hear Christ's absolution from the
mouth of his servant. He wants you to knock
at his door and go to the Lord's Table where he will bespeak you righteous and deliver to you his very body and blood
for the forgiveness of your sins. Hear
the blessed news of your crucified and risen savior. Feast your eyes on the crucifix and remember he
has died for you.
As you
go out shopping again tonight, tomorrow, or another weekend, approach the store
with a renewed knowledge that you proclaim Christ as you treat the store and
its employees rightly. As you treat
everyone with respect, know that Christ is at work in you and creating
opportunities for you to confess the
faith that you have heard and believed.
Will that old Adam get in the way, will he lead you to sin again and
write it off as I deserve to be served or I am in a hurry this one time? Yes. Recognize
that sin, confess the sin and always hear the good news, you are forgiven.
For you
are the ultimate customer, you have received from Christ all that you need and
he is the perfect giver, he gave himself, for you, for the sake of your eternal
life. And that is joy of the vocation as
the customer. This is why we are so
blessed to have our Savior Jesus Christ.
He loves to give what we need to receive, and as you have been blessed
to receive you willingly, joyfully live out your vocations including that of
the customer.
Peace be with you.
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