Here at Faith Driven Consumer™, our goal is to make a difference in the marketplace, workplace and culture. One of the primary ways we accomplish this is through engaging the world of commerce in a distinctly Christian way. Our goal is to demonstrate to the world the truth of gospel and the love of Jesus Christ through how we conduct ourselves. Through spending, stewarding and saving in a distinctly faith driven way, we are able to make an impact on our culture and create a more tolerant and welcoming place for Faith Driven Consumers (FDCs) to live, work and do business. This week we are going to highlight a few of the many different avenues FDCs can take in pursuing this goal. Indeed, making an impact in the culture as a Faith Driven Consumer can take many forms, so let’s consider several practical things you can do to demonstrate and live out your faith in your community.
Be Intentional. One way in which we can accomplish this goal is through being more intentional while doing the same, everyday things we’re already doing. Do you have a grocery store you typically go to? Do you get coffee every day at the same coffee shop or drive thru? Do you have a favorite barber or hair stylist you regularly see? All of these are opportunities to build relationships, share the love and truth of the gospel, and make an impact on the lives of people you encounter. And you don’t have to do much more than simply be intentional and take captive those moments that you might normally spend keeping to yourself, scrolling on your phone, or be distracted. For example, make a point to go to the same cashier (even if it means waiting in the longer line at the checkout), remembering their name, and encouraging them or asking how they are doing. This is the kind of small, but faith driven, action that can have a great impact. We should take captive the everyday interactions or exchanges and actively look for ways to infuse the love of God and demonstrate our faith to those around us.
Support Faith Driven Causes. Another way in which we can engage the marketplace, workplace and culture – in a faith driven way that makes a difference – is through supporting causes that promote or defend the values, beliefs, practices, freedoms and rights of FDCs. This can be done through vocal and physical support in your communities, making your voice heard and defending the rights of FDCs. You can petition your local, state and federal representatives, actively promoting the interests of FDCs to your political leaders so that they are compelled to hear the collective voice of the FDC community. You can financially support various organizations which are fighting for these causes on a larger scale. Faith-based legal organizations and law firms are constantly defending the rights of FDCs in the marketplace, workplace and culture. The implications of these legal battles are critical, not just for our generation, but for many to come. But these high profile cases, which can last multiple years and require a team of attorneys, are not cheap. It is up to us to support these causes and fund these efforts. Whether you choose to take up the mantle yourself, or contribute to organizations already embroiled in these causes, supporting the efforts of Christians in our culture is something we can and should be engaged in as FDCs.
Buycott Faith Compatible Businesses. The last avenue we are going to explore is the practice of a “buycott.” Most are familiar with the idea of a boycott and have likely heard of many different groups, including Christians, engaging in this practice in reaction to corporate actions that displease certain groups of customers. While FDC is not here to declare that boycotts are wrong or never useful (there may be specific times when outright boycotts are appropriate), we are here to offer an alternative to boycotts that we think is more appropriate and effective for Faith Driven Consumers: a buycott.
So what’s the difference? Is it just semantics? Well, no, it’s not just semantics, it’s a difference in both motivation and method. Although some may have proper and noble motives in boycotts, unfortunately, far too often these boycotts turn into bullying campaigns motivated by a retributive desire to punish businesses for bad behavior. Furthermore, the method, or manner in which these campaigns are conducted often involves behavior and speech that is un-Christlike and only does damage to our witness in culture. For these reasons we believe that buycotts are a superior way for FDCs to leverage the marketplace for the interests of our community. While a boycott focuses on the “bad” brands and prohibits you from buying their products, a buycott focuses on the better brands. It’s not about saying “no” to certain brands, it’s about saying “yes” to the brands doing it best and showing your support for their faith compatible corporate actions. In this, we are able to avoid negativity, and instead, positively engage with the marketplace without damaging our Christian witness. This is ultimately more effective in our goal of making an impact on culture for the sake of the gospel and for the preservation of biblical values. If we focus on highlighting and supporting brands that are doing it better, then we encourage the entire industry to follow suit.
There are countless ways to live out your faith in your community, make your voice heard, and effect change in marketplace, workplace and culture. But if you’re looking for simple and practical ways to get more involved and start making a difference, then maybe you can pick one or two of the actions above and see if you can implement them into your daily life. And when you do, Faith Driven Consumer will be here to help you every step of the way!
