We saw the new story this week regarding CVS and tobacco:
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/05/news/companies/cvs-walgreens-cigarettes/
"Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better health," Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Caremark, said in a statement.
Here is the quote that changed the game for me, "Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose."
pur·pose noun: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. in·con·sist·ent adjective not staying the same throughout.
According to their website, CVSs purpose statement is: HELPING PEOPLE ON THEIR PATH TO BETTER HEALTH. So someone eventually realized that having cigarettes in the front of the store and Nicorette in the back was a bit backwards. It's not just backwards, but buying cigarettes does not help people on their path to better health. It seems like this should have been realized a lot sooner. This story is particularly meaningful to me. I remember my very first job was at CVS. I had to get cigarettes for people. I had never touched a pack, let alone been exposed to the varied types (menthol, light, all the brands, etc.) I was always a bit uncomfortable about that part of my job and I never understood where or how it fit.
So what is your purpose? "Kim," you may say, "I don't know what my purpose is." Well as a believer, we have four focuses for our life:
- TO CENTER YOUR LIFE AROUND GOD: (Worship)
- TO CONNECT WITH OTHER BELIEVERS: (Fellowship)
- TO CULTIVATE SPIRITUAL MATURITY: (Discipleship)
- TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION WITH YOUR LIFE: (Service)
What is stopping your worship? Waking up too late to have quiet time? What is blocking your fellowship? Excuses about church service being too crowded too long, too short, too early too late? What is preventing your discipleship? "I'm not mature enough, I don't have the temperament to give a testimony." Why not serve? Don't tell yourself there are too many causes or you don't have anything to give.
Is anyone or anything CONTRARY to your personal or Christian purpose in your life? Has anyone ever looked at you and compared some inconsistent practice, person, or component of your life and thought about the lyrics "Things that Make you GO HUMMMM" If so, have you thought about why it or she or he is in your life in the first place? Are you willing to get rid of it?
Proverbs 19:21 New International Version (NIV)
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails
I thought I had a spectacular plan for my life when I graduated high school. I was going to college, I would meet my husband there, we would get married the week after graduation and start our lives. I would teach until I retired and we would have two children, design my own house, etc. I bet you are laughing because you had thoughts like that too! I thought I had the right friends that I picked. But as God began to reveal His plans for me, in very small chunks, I had to make adjustments to my world. I did so kicking and screaming at first. HE made some of those first moves by EJECTING people out of my life. I had to lose some very close people because the relationship revealed itself to be contrary to the direction I was now going. It hurts, this is not a comfortable process. I'm sure CVS will feel the pain of losing billions of dollars because of an inconsistency in pursuing their purpose. Not millions y'all BILLIONS. However, they are willing to take that loss to stay ALIGNED to their purpose. I am sure they realized that the direction they wanted to go in could not include tobacco sales any longer. My life is no where near what I planned, but it is so much better. I am truly blessed and I can now in faith say, "Wherever you lead me Lord, I'm there!"
Let's get aligned with our purpose, let's go in the right direction and not stray. Let's take a loss and get rid of anything contrary to the PLAN, whatever yours is, IN CHRIST.
"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me..."
Psalm 138:8a
AND I AM SO GLAD ABOUT IT! GLORY BE TO GOD!!!
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