Only the Humble Need Apply

(Identifying Your Target Market)

Matthew 9:10-13
Romans 3:23-24

Tim Darnell

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13

To be successful in business, you need to accurately identify your target market. If you are sending advertising messages and marketing materials to the wrong people, you will find you have wasted valuable time, energy, and marketing dollars. Each business, service, and product matches-up appropriately with certain people; but it doesn't match all people. In fact, if you mistakenly sell a product or service to the wrong person, someone who is not genuinely a match, then that mistake will turn into issues and complications you don’t need in your life.

Your product should match the right person with the right need, and therefore, the calls you make should be to what we refer to in business as, your specific “target demographic” or your “target market.” If I were to be hired as a marketing consultant for your business, one of the first things we would do is sit down and accurately clarify who your target market is in order to figure out exactly who the likely customers for your product or service would be - what they look like, where they live, where they congregate, the best age group, when do they buy, and as many identifying factors as we could possibly define. We don’t want to waste time, so we want to know with accuracy who your best, genuine target market really is.

Once identified, those are the people on whom we would call. Those are the people to whom we would go. Those are the people to whom we would send our well-thought-out, concise message.

My business is no different. We have people who are genuine candidates and we clearly have many who are not. We offer ongoing, Biblically based mentoring and training for business people and entrepreneurs. We found out quickly that one of the defining traits of genuine client candidates for our service was the intangible quality of “humility.” On the other hand, someone who knows it all and doesn’t recognize the need for counsel, advice, and modeling from qualified people who have achieved what it is they want to achieve – well, they’re just not good candidates. We’ve come across many, many people that don't possess humility, but rather are filled with arrogance and pride. Those two characteristics don’t match-up with our company’s target demographic.

Jesus ran across the same type of arrogance and pride throughout His ministry. The Pharisees were “know-it-all’s”, people of power and positioning in the community and synagogue. Accordingly, they didn’t need some young teacher coming into their territory teaching them or telling them what to do. They certainly didn’t need someone pointing out their faults and what they were doing wrong. But Jesus didn’t come for them. He would have called on them if they would humbly have accepted His authority and listened to His words. But no, they had developed a hardness of heart, eyes that refused to see, and ears that didn't want to hear.

Only the humble recognize the need for teaching. Only a person of humility is willing to deal openly with the problem areas of their lives, and repent of their sin and mistakes. Only the humble need apply.

Jesus Christ knew His target market. He came for the sick and those in need of healing. He came for the thief on the cross, who at the very last moment humbly proclaimed Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The thief was guilty and knew it. In his guilt and shame, he recognized his overwhelming need for Jesus.

If you are in business or in sales, you aren’t going to sell anything to anybody who doesn’t recognize their genuine need or desire for what it is you are selling. We haven’t sold our mentoring service to those who are “know-it-all’s” or who defensively protect, and are comfortable with, their current state of thinking – the sign of an arrogant, prideful mindset. Our company and product has that in common with Jesus’ ministry. People have to be open to changing their minds before “Mindset MentoringSM” means anything to them. And people have to have open hearts in order to see their need for Jesus Christ taking the place of King of their life.

Jesus knew on whom He was calling. He was calling the sick, tax collectors, thieves, outcasts, and sinners. He knew what He offered – healing, restoration, and genuine freedom. And He knew on whom He was to call to be the recipient of His unique, miraculous service. Most of the world could not, and never has, been able to understand that the King has come for those in need, but that was and is exactly God’s incredible mission for His Son.

I’ve often stated (and have built our mentoring company around) the fact that “the Bible and Jesus Christ provide the greatest training anybody could ever experience or desire. Everything else is just man’s reasoning – ‘fine sounding arguments’ and formulas. The public at large falls for lesser training all the time – often glitzy, but mere puff. Powerful training and advice needs to – no, MUST be grounded in true power – that being the Word of God and the person of Jesus Christ. But only the humble need apply. God’s Word is not for those who know it all. God’s Word is not for those who hold their own words as higher than the Master's. His Word will not be received by the arrogant or the proudly positioned. It’s not for those who think answers lie in popular, secular television shows; nor is it for those who refuse to recognize a genuine personal need for healing, restoration, renewal, and salvation.

The sick are the ones who need a doctor. You and I are the ones who need the Savior. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that comes by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 Let us be the ones who recognize that great need in our lives, and let us assuredly be the ones who heed Jesus’ call to us personally. We are the ones to whom He calls and comes – praise God!

In business, be savvy about and identify your target market. Also, you should also know that you have been in Jesus’ target ‘market’ for a long time. In fact, you have been on His short list since you were born. But only the humble need apply. If you are humble enough to respond to His call, the value that He is willing to give you is the greatest service you will ever be offered and experience in your entire lifetime.