Written by The Scribbler

Contrasting the God of the Bible with the god of Mary Kay Inc. Who will you listen to?

Oh yeah, there goes yet another tube of foundation whizzing past my head. Hey, you’re not supposed to break up a Basic, remember? If you’re going to throw makeup at me the Mary Kay Way, you have to throw it in sets.

Today I would like to touch on the god that Mary Kay Inc. peddles to its women. That’s “god” with a small “g’, and that’s how I’ll refer to him throughout this article.

A few special notes before we begin. For one, this article is not designed to convert anyone to Christianity. It is not designed to judge Mary Kay Ash’s faith, either. I want to make it clear, however, that whenever God is mentioned in Mary Kay, it is the God of the Bible being invoked, in accordance with Mary Kay Ash’s beliefs.

While Corporate name-drops God in every Mary Kay facet and function, it will floor you to learn that there are radical character differences between Corporate’s god and the God of the Bible. I pray that this information will bring clarity and comfort to women who have wondered if they really were making God mad by failing to toe Corporate’s impossible line.

Are you ready? Don’t be scared, dear one – this is the day you will find true empowerment (and you won’t have to shell out a grand for airfare and a hotel room, either!)

1. One can only get close to Corporate’s god by doing enough stuff.

Do you remember all the promises that were made you before you signed your Consultant Agreement – more time with family, confidence, and more money? You were fully convinced that Mary Kay was prepared to meet your every need and be your shining salvation – and it would all be yours for the tidy price of a Starter Kit!

As you worked your business, you noticed that booking classes that actually hold and warm-chattering are challenging beasts. The products don’t sell themselves as claimed – if they did, Corporate wouldn’t need you now, would they? And savvy members of the general populace can smell ulterior motives tucked within compliments better than a bloodhound at a crime scene.

You call your director. She responds with, “Mary Kay always put God first – do you? You can walk across the stage at Seminar, too – I believe in you! Now here’s what you need to say/do…”

So you chant the affirmations all month. You go test drive a Cadillac with a color as close to pink as possible. You place a star order, book your airfare for Seminar, and make endless phone calls to people you haven’t spoken with since high school. But you did it – you’re actually going to be on stage at Seminar! You beam with pride as you clack across the gleaming platform, only to have your director tell you afterward, “You know, Mary Kay said we shouldn’t rest on our laurels; I personally feel you’re ready for a leadership position. How fast can you make DIQ?”

Favor gained by kowtowing to Corporate’s god is painfully fleeting. No matter what you do, it will never be enough. Corporate requires its women to jump through endless hoops in order for their favor to be gained; it’s no surprise that they would tout a god that behaves likewise. Reality check: for your efforts, you received about 15 seconds of clapping from an arena filled with women you barely know and who are only clapping because it’s expected of them.

The God of the Bible does things a bit differently. It begins with John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” Right from the get-go, God freely gives what mankind didn’t do squat to earn. In John 6:37, Jesus says, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” God doesn’t care about your past – He turns away no one.

To dovetail on that thought, Corporate’s god will drop you like a newborn giraffe if you don’t do enough stuff for him. He doesn’t think twice about turning his back on someone who’s not working their business hard enough. He delights in using all your “sins” (meaning engaging in acts/behaviors that are not “Mary Kay approved”) against you. The chances are quite good that you have either witnessed the intense shunning/badmouthing of an individual who decided to leave Mary Kay behind or been the target of such ridicule yourself.

In Satanism, there is a list of tenets called “The Nine Satanic Statements.” #4 could have been ripped right out of Corporate’s handbook: “Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates.” Yes; kindness to those who are ordering and recruiting faithfully, instead of love wasted on those who were smart enough to leave Corporate’s twisted system.

We know God doesn’t behave that way or else he would have ditched mortal mankind a long time ago. While God does not tolerate sin, He does offer boundless mercy. In Psalm 103:12, it says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

In Romans 8:38,39, it goes even deeper: “Nothing…shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”

2. Corporate’s god winks at telling lies and half-truths in order to achieve one’s goals.

You remember that Consultant Agreement we talked about not too long ago? Did you know that you’ve agreed to present the Mary Kay Opportunity in a “truthful and sincere manner?” How many of you believe this is actually happening?

There are scripts out there designed to cover everything from “I tried MK once and I broke out!” to “I am on food stamps and need to bury my infant son tomorrow.” According to Executive Senior Sales Director Monica Hartle, “When faced with any objection, the Magic Words are, “That’s exactly why you need Mary Kay!” As far as Corporate is concerned, half-truths are permissible acts. After all, how many people would sign up if one told a potential recruit, “My Grand Prix isn’t exactly free; I have to meet a production quota from month to month or else I end up either doing a co-pay or having the thing repossessed entirely.”

God does not tolerate half-truths. In Acts 4:32-5:11, we learn the story of Ananias and Sapphira. This couple sold a piece of land, kept back part of the price, and gave the rest to the apostles, telling them that the amount they were giving was, indeed, the full price of the land.

Peter called Ananias out on it: “You have not lied unto men, but unto God.” Without so much as a moment to mutter “Whut? Peter, you so crazy!” Ananias dropped dead.

When Sapphira showed up three hours later, she, too, was asked for the “whole story.” She responded the same way her husband did. Peter replied, “How is it that you have agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.” Sapphira straight up took herself a dirt nap that day.

Are you beginning to see the differences between the two entities? And if you’re still unsure as to who to believe, be encouraged by Romans 3:4, which says, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

And that’s God with a capital “G”.