What fruit is that?

I walked into a health food store I visit ever so often this morning. When I got to the checkout it was the same guy that had served me several times before. I am always so taken by the way he deals with all visitors to the store. He is always very pleasant to everyone which is probably why he is extremely popular amongst the regular customers. He advises clients about products with such keen interest genuineness and goes well out of his way to ensure that customers are satisfied. He is not the store manager or owner but he always has a happy and helpful countenance and personifies the phrase service with a smile. During a brief chat with him this morning about how well he deals with everyone that comes into the store, I hardly allowed him to complete his final sentence before I interrupted him with my repetition of the words “I knew it”. It turned out that he is a Christian, living his beliefs and ministering by his actions.

This made me take stock of my business practices. What do my clients say about me? As business owners are we able to provide more than a service or product? Do we leave positive lasting impressions in the minds of potential and existing clients? Is it all about the money or are we affecting lives by causing people to wonder why we are the way we are or do the things we do? Do we set good examples? Do we cause people to doubt our integrity? Are we marketplace ministers? Good fruit or bad fruit, what are you producing?

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. - Matthew 7:16-17 (King James Version)