“You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”
Chip Wilson, the founder of lifestyle clothing giant Lululemon, dropped those controversial words during a recent interview about the company’s direction since he departed in 2015.
This takes me back to 2013, when an Abercrombie & Fitch executive created a media storm by shamelessly declaring the clothing retailer tried to exclude anyone but “cool kids” from buying its products. (The controversy inspired me to write this: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-7o.)
Then, as now with Chip Wilson, the issue is all about ranking the value of people. That’s a constant, subtle focus of our culture, designed to make people feel special. The trouble is, it does so by downgrading certain types of what we might regard as less desirable people.
Most of us, and that includes ME, are guilty of this — often without even knowing it. And it’s been going on since the dawn of humanity. Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God, often battled this mindset during His physical time on earth.
Jesus spent time with the rejects of his day — tax collectors for the hated Roman empire (which occupied ancient Israel, where Jesus lived), prostitutes, menstruating women, people with mental health issues and more.
Jesus did so for two reasons, and I believe those reasons apply to YOU and me:
- He wanted them to know they were unconditionally loved and valued, no matter what anyone said to them or behaved toward them.
- He wanted them to recognize they had missed the mark of who God created them to be, and it was possible to fix that by following Him.
Now transfer this list to YOU: Jesus wants YOU to know YOU are unconditionally loved and valued, with all your faults and with all the wrong things you’ve done (and the right things you’ve failed to do).
Second, YOU and me have missed the mark of who God created us to be. We’ve listened to our culture’s siren call and, more often than not, made meaningless things (money, toys, vacations, trophy spouses, sexual pleasure) our focus, all the while living as if we have no Creator. In other words, at the urging of the world around us, we have made ourselves God.
Upon realizing this, I opened my mind and heart to Jesus. I’m glad to tell you that He entered my life and is making me more generous and less self-centred, more loving and less insecure, more contented and less angry. The list continues, but you get it. And the work won’t end until this life is finished and my life in Heaven starts.
Sound attractive? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 
When we put ourselves first without a thought about God, we are in for a rough ride in this life. Let us vow to follow Him and Him alone in the New Year.
Blessings, Frank!
…except that Jesus ranked people too, referring to non-Hebrew people as “dogs”, and saying that he was not sent to minister to them.
For anyone wondering, this atheist comment refers to a time when Jesus was absolutely NOT ranking anyone. He was testing the faith of a woman who asked for help. And He DID help her.
Plus, there are many instances when Jesus helped many other non-Hebrew people. In fact, the person Jesus praised as having the greatest faith He’d ever encountered was NOT a Hebrew. And He helped that person, too.
The pastor in my church was saying something similar recently. Need to deny ourselves and let God. The hard part is to convince someone over the internet when one cannot have a personal relationship in a friend way to help lead and show them that you care. And most people won’t just tell you their story especially not the first time.
It is hard to know where to start with some. Most will just avoid their story, especially atheists. I can understand why on the fact sometimes, not always, they may have pain in the recall of why they don’t believe there is a One True loving God that is interested in them. They want a mighty warrior to come down out of the sky to prove He is real. (I am betting they would still deny this as proof). They do not want a meek child who changes hearts.