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Of Insurance and Blessed assurance
Statutory warning: Insurance lingo used but trust assured, every Insurance related term has been explained!
Hey, the ubiquitous Indian insurance agent is in the news! The news is out that he may permanently
disappear from the “news”…sometime from now! The reason? The present system of he receiving his
commission from an
Insurance company he works for, is likely to be scrapped. Most
probably from 2011-the media reports tell us- he would be constrained to receive his consideration from the
customer himself! Case of little sheep seeking permission from a hungry bull to graze in the pastures
reserved for the latter… so remark some Financial analysts. Would the agent survive this
“dramatic climatic change” in the Insurance world? I do not want to hazard a guess nor do
I intend to comment on the merits or demerits of such a move. Several pundits of the Insurance sector,
however, seemingly concerned about the financial health of these persevering souls are up in arms
pleading for this beleaguered lot. It is their considered opinion that the Indian Insurance “eco-system”
can ill-afford demoralization of agents’ as it could well lead to their “extinction” and eventual “freezing”
of Indian insurance business. For more on the forecast of an impending gloomy “ice-age” predicted for the
Indian insurance sector, you may access the following link
http://toostep.com/insight/raw-deal-for-life-insurance-agents
Now from the “cold” subject of a dark period prophesied for selling insurance, I would like turn your
attention to something “warm”…heart-warming that is…of “selling” (read proclaiming)… “Blessed assurance”
and explore if there are similarities between these two, in the first place. For starters, let us look
at origin of the phrase “Blessed assurance”. Words of apostle Paul penned to his disciple Titus, which
read thus…“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ”
(Titus 2:13-KJV) has become the bedrock of the “blessed assurance” for many a child of God,
going about earnestly in the Father’s business all the while eagerly awaiting the return of the Savior.
For instance for Fanny Crosby (who was physically blind but had spiritual eyes of faith)-the composer of
that immortal hymn “Blessed assurance” it proved to be an inspiration to come-up with that timeless concluding
stanza in the above-said song…
Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above
(Titus 2:13),
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
The “future” factor….
Besides other factors like communication skills, perseverance etc which are required for success in any selling activity,
is there anything “uniquely” common between those “selling” insurance and “Blessed assurance”?
Having been associated with the Insurance sector and also having been busy in the “Divine vineyard”
for some years now, I am qualified to say that there are many similarities. To start with both insurance
and blessed assurance (salvation) revolve around the concept of wise planning for the future. In both the
cases the perceived benefit would be in the “future only”! In this world used to getting instant results
(instant coffee, instant pain relievers’ etc) Insurance agents would vouch for the fact that they pant and puff
to sell even one policy, because the benefits to the buyer of the policy do not accrue “immediately” but
sometime later “in the future”. Now spare a thought for a servant of God! If Insurance agents shed their blood
and sweat to sell “future benefits” pertaining to this existing, tangible world, how many takers would be
there for a man selling future benefits of an invisible world! Oh boy, oh boy…this is a difficulty with a
capital D requiring commitment with a capital C.
Exemplary example…
Let’s go along and see if there are any other similarities. Both need to sell by example believing all along that
what they are doing is RIGHT! A wise insurance agent first buys a policy himself (“sacrificing” his money at the
“altar” of the Insurance company he is representing) and in his canvassing process makes a mention of it to all
his prospects, thereby instilling confidence in the latter. Hey, I trusted this Insurance Company, you can trust
it too…is the message he would like to convey! Any takers (here I am not referring to the gullible lot falling
prey to the wiles and guiles of many a false godman…opps sorry…I mean a true devilman) for a servant of God
who has not fully trusted the Almighty IN ALL AREAS experiencing His love and redemptive power? Only a
shining testimony of a totally transformed, consecrated life laced with passion borne out of enjoying
God consistently can melt cold hearts…especially of the agnostic, rational lot.
No hope for a hopper…
A Job-hopper can never generate trust. Right? An insurance agent, who hops from one insurance company to
another has never been known to make a mark in the world of Insurance selling. One has to sail along with his
insurance company, through “highs and lows”. Ditto the same with God’s servant. Only a consistent life marked by
holiness and continual walk with the Lord
(Luke 9:23)-not counting the cost-can hope to engender confidence about
the Almighty in an agnostic or an atheistic heart.
Anytime…all the time…
After selling the policy, an agent can never “wash off his hands”, rather he has to be available to his customers,
at their beck and call, servicing them every step of the way. A servant of God too, after winning souls for the
Lord has to consistently nurture the “new born babes in the Divine family” even, so to speak, laughing and crying
with them (Romans 12:15), at all times.
Familial feeling…
Now coming to the customers (read policy holders) of the Insurance company and Christians, are there similarities?
Oh yes, there are. Firstly they are part of “one family, sharing the risks together in order the profit or loss,
is equally shared, even given the fact that they may not know each other personally”. In the event of death of one
“family member” from where does the Insurance company pay? Is it not from a common pool of money generated by payment
of premiums of a family (read group) of policy holders? As a policy holder, you want the common pool of money to
remain intact nay grow without any depletion? Then pray for the longevity of all the policy holders, even though
you may not know many of them personally! While that may be improbable, as His children with a higher calling,
are we in the habit of praying for all our “family members” (read universal church) and beyond
(I Tim 2:1-3)-
even those we may not personally know but whose needs are brought to our notice?
Return on Investment on the Master’s return…
Finally, when it comes to the all important “returns on investment”, again there is a similarity between the Insurance sector and
Christendom, especially in the matter of getting “rewards from the Master”, as it all boils down to the extent
of trust reposed on the Master. In Unit linked policies (a part of the premiums is invested in the Shares market)
with a maturity benefit guaranteed after a specific term of say 10 or 15 years, a customer is given the choice
of investment. Normally, he can choose amongst three funds, which in common parlance are called secure fund,
balanced fund and growth fund respectively. If a policy holder intends to invest his money (premium amount)
in the secure fund, neither the fund-management skills nor the Share market savviness of the Insurance
company would be greatly tested, for there the investment would be limited to only 20% in stocks (share market)
with balance 80% going into very secure stocks (like Government bonds) and predictably the returns too
(as low as 6%) are in proportion to the risks taken or in other words in proportion to the
TRUST displayed in the fund-management skills of the Insurance company. Oh how many Christians
belong to this category! Even though they have fundamentally trusted the Savior for their salvation,
they would never venture “too-far in the matter” of “taking risks” (read sacrificing their time, talent and
treasures* for His Kingdom) and the result? Their “dividends” on the Judgment day would only be in proportion
to their meager efforts. Remember, salvation is free but rewards on the Judgment day, have to be earned
( I Cor 3:12-15/
Rev 14:13).
*Also referred to as 3-T resources
Those investing in the Balanced fund, walk the middle path of taking “measured risks”, as the Insurance Company
on their advice would invest 50% of their funds in Government stocks and only 50% in private equities!
The returns are normally in the range of 15-20%. Some Christians belong to this genre. “This far and no further”,
would be their attitude, when it comes to taking risks for the Lord (read once again, expending
their 3 –T resources for the Kingdom)! They would get their rewards but not as much as the TRULY BLESSED
third group. They (now the third group) are akin to the investors in the Growth fund (who totally trust the fund-management skills
of the Insurance co), wherein major portion (as high as 80%) of their premiums is invested in the private stocks
and only a limited amount in safe securities. They would reap rich returns, even as high as 45%
(well, it really happened in the period 2004-05) on their investments. Remember Mary of Bethany, who expended
her costly ointment in anointing the Savior
(John 12:3) or the poor widow, who gave her all
(Luke 21:2-4)…well,
they belong to this category. Say dear believer into which “fund of faith” art thou putting “thy resources”?
Remarked Jim Elliot-a young martyr for the Lord- “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what
he cannot lose”.
Finally an appeal to all Insurance policy holders, who are yet to take a policy of Blessed assurance.
It is good that you have carefully planned for a future…lasting up to a finite period of 30-40 or at best 80 years.
But what about the infinite future? Remember like in Insurance so is the case in the Blessed assurance…”the one who
fails to PLAN, plans to FAIL”. The Savior with the “redemption plan signed in His own atoning blood” is at the door
(Rev 3:20)…hey,
what keeps you from opening it!
(Suresh Manoharan)
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