Honest Politician and A Christian Realtor Go Into A Bar

Honest politician and a Christian Realtor go into a bar. Sounds like the makings of a fun joke. What is the punchline? For me? everything. I have worked to reconcile faith and work over 2 decades.

Being a Christian and a business man has been more challenging for me than it needed to be. What is so difficult about going to Church on Sunday and living this faith during the week? I was talking to another agent about the fish symbol people put on their car. “I don’t want to put that on my car because of the way I drive, I don’t want others to think that Christians always drive too fast and cut people off!” was their reply.

Full disclosure, I do not have a fish on my car, or the little stick family people either. Not that there is anything wrong with them. God has not asked me to do that ..yet. So what does working out my faith look like? I can tell you what seems to work so far and what does not work.

What works?

1. Daily submission and surrender. My Maker made my heart to serve. If I am not serving Him or another person, then I will serve myself or a god that I make. One little god I made in the past was a marketshare report.

2. Focusing on customer’s needs. Not a lightning bolt theory, but surprising how often I have not called a client back because I was too busy thinking about myself at the time.

3. Thinking about the true finish line. Heaven is the goal and the ultimate “Home” of a Christian Realtor. Helping other people find more “life” in their temporary home and pointing the way to that ultimate “prize” is our chief purpose as Realtors.

4. Working for our Maker. A listing does “technically” belong to the broker. Our heart is gathering listings for the pleasure of a higher authority. There is a noble calling in serving. He is calling me to be the best Realtor possible to lead others and serve clients and customers well.

What does not work?

1. Not working. The old joke in Realtor training class was that the “good” Christian Realtor marketing plan was to plant a sign and pray. No need to follow up and “work” to market the house. Marketing a home takes diligent effort. Lots of it. Not sure where being a Christian means being light in work. Somehow our culture seems to think that being a Christian is code for being lazy and watching prosperity TV preaching. Read Colossians 3:22-25.

2. Competing in wrong race. I used to think that I was competing with others. Now I realize that I competing against selfishness and resistance. The real competition is laying down my “old man” as a Christian and taking up my Maker’s cause.

3. Thinking about money. Money is simply a certificate of appreciation for work well done as a reward of diligent effort. Money becomes really elusive when it is your reason for striving. A focus on profit instead of customers is the beginning to a transactional business without a heart.

Honest politician and a Christian Realtor go into a bar. They enjoy each other’s company and agree to honor each other with respectful hard work.

Doesn’t have to be a joke. Can be the start of a great story. and they lived happily ever after….