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Do you remember the days of the telemarketer? Back when everyone had house phones, we used to pick up the phone and hear a friendly voice. “Hello! How are you today?” They would say cheerily. They seemed like they wanted to talk to us. Soon, though, we’d find out that they were only being nice because they wanted to sell us something! The telemarketer didn’t really want to be our friend. They didn’t really care how we were. Sometimes the perception of Christians is that we’re spiritual telemarketers. They say we’re only being nice because we want to sell people eternal life. Honestly, this perception isn’t wholly wrong. We should never be ashamed of our true purpose, which is to follow Christ and introduce others to the joy and hope we have. However, godly relationships are not a sales pitch. They can only be built through time and attention, through experiencing challenges and joys. We need to approach our relationships with love and commitment, with actions! As 1 John says, “Let us not love with words of speech, but with actions and in truth.” We are not only trying to point people to heaven. Instead, we are trying to be their friends through actions and truth, which involves telling them about the hope of Christ. We should always treat others with God’s love. That love will touch their lives and bless the world. This is Luis Palau.