The Jesus Labor of Love request I just posted is an amazing example of another fundamental in Negotiations Bible style. Here was the request I received this morning: “My reverse in my car went out. I think my transmission needs to be replaced.”
That was all it said, no other explanation of why they need help or anything else that was it plain and simple.. When you go in and ask for a discount or the best price or try to haggle in any way, do you share the story behind why you need a discount?
The power of story is phenomena, the very reason Jesus used parables. Story is the way we sequence things understand what’s going on. Many folks feel they need to be guarded with their story, and it’s true that people can and will use your story against you, for sure your enemy, Satan does. However, good people will do and pray and help anyway they can if they understand why you need help.
So let’s get back to the request this morning, I recognized the name and wondered if we had seen this family before wondering truly what’s the story behind this? I found a previous request and reading the story broke my heart and changed every thing.
“I need my transmission fluid changed, I had to use the very little paycheck I got from work and to pawn somethings to make my car payment because I have had 25 hours of work in 2 weeks because I stuffer from fibromyalgia and I am 17 weeks pregnant, my husband was a stay at home dad to our almost 3 year old daughter but now he is going back to work and I’m going to be a stay at home mom because of my health problems. I can’t physically work anymore, and i need my car to get back and forth to my doctor’s appointment because I am high risk. Please help us.”
If you are like me, you are now totally pulled in and yes you cynical folks other there know that any good con man uses this very technique to rip you off. Yet let me say fundamentally that this is why you need to find a salesperson or agent you can trust with your story, but once you do and can share sincerely you are literally bringing more weight with this fundamental in negotiations than any tip or technique I could share, and most of all it is uniquely yours to share.
Another fundamental of the Christian Car Guy is when you start to notice a problem, Nip it in the bud. This story you can’t help but make me wonder if we had been able to help her with her transmission service last time would we now be needing a whole transmission, the old Fram saying “You can pay me now or your can pay me later”? That maintenance needs to be done. A noise or a light are small the next step is likely to be big, mechanical things for example brakes start to squeak a little a few months later if not taken care of you will need so much more than just brake pads. Remember “Nip it in the Bud”..
God has spent the last year or so teaching me this Fundamental of Christian Stewardship. Found in Mark 10:29-31
“29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.””
I speak on freedom from car debt a lot but I believe the fundamental taught here is that we are going to have choices on what to do with our time, treasure and talent and what Jesus is teaching here is that investing in His Kingdom has a 100 times return. IN THIS PRESENT AGE.. I know it’s true and if you have walked with Jesus for some time you do as well. I have 100 mother and a 100 fathers and 100 brother and sisters, really more than that. I have lands I never dreamed of and yes persecutions but even those I consider an honor to suffer for Jesus… The more I think on these verses the more excited I get really, the fellowship with all these mothers and fathers sisters and brothers, ads such joy to enjoying the lands etc.. The best times in our lives are always shared.
A driving fundamental I have really learned just this week, thanks to last weeks show on break bad patterns is “DRIVE IN THE MOMENT”. Last week Bill Mixon shared a Ben Franklin suggestion of adding a good habit in order to break a bad one. So my BAD habit was driving and talking on the phone or even looking at a text or I’ll admit even texting on occasion. So I added the habit of putting my phone on airplane mode this week, (when I remembered), but even if I didn’t I didn’t grab for the text or a ringing. The result I spent time with Jesus driving in the moment. I saw things I had never seen before. Night before last I told my wife, “Have you seen we got a new Historical Marker for Pfafftown as we drove past it.”
She laughed, “That’s been there for year have you never seen it.” The truth is I have seen all sort of things this week I have never seen, because honestly enjoying driving and just driving in the moment with nothing else but driving focus with Jesus has made a real difference and yes I even avoided a really bad accident; I wonder if I would have had I not had my phone on airplane mode.
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