I say “joins,” but In-N-Out Burger hasn’t necessarily been secretive about the fact that it’s a Christian establishment. It has printed John 3: 16 on the bottom of its cups. However, like Chick-fil-A before it, the owner and heiress of the burger chain, Lynsi Snyder, is letting everyone know just how much Christ means to her publicly.
Snyder gave an interview with The Christian Post and divulged that her life was on a downward spiral until she came to Christ, leaving behind drug and alcohol addiction, broken marriages, physical abuse, and more. The burger empire heiress said that she “finally found that the deep need in my heart can only be filled by Jesus and my identity in Him.”
Snyder stressed that, even when you’ve overcome the pains of your past, you still need Christ for the hurdles that are to come according to The Christian Post:
“I have learned so much through my broken relationships along with the ups and downs that come through marriage,” she said. “I’ve been the one to hurt, and I’ve been hurt. I have gained insight and growth through both sides of the coin.”
“Prior to the journey of marriage, it’s so important to seek time and healing with Jesus,” she stressed. “Even if you are blessed to be healed of personal wounds and past relationship baggage, life will still bring hurdles and trials to overcome in your relationship.”
While John 3:16 has been printed on their cups for years, Snyder decided the company should have more Bible verses on its products in order to share more of the messages it has to impart. This now includes Proverbs 24:16 and Luke 6:35.
“It was my uncle Rich who put the Bible verses on the cups and wrappers in the early ‘90s, just before he passed away,” she told the Christian Post. “He had just accepted the Lord and wanted to put that little touch of his faith on our brand. It’s a family business and will always be, and that’s a family touch. In later years, I added verses to the fry boat, coffee, and hot cocoa cups.”
It’s not just the printing of verses on containers that Snyder is satisfied with. She told The Christian Post that she’s also started an organization called “Army of Love,” which helps those who are in emotional need just like she was when her third marriage was falling apart:
“I was calling out to God as my third marriage was failing. I was in a place where I felt I couldn’t do ministry because my own heart and home were a mess,” she recounted. “My husband and I were in constant turmoil. I became desperate for the hope that I could be used by God despite my circumstances.”
While driving through New Orleans one day, Snyder heard Isaiah 61 in her head. The passage reads, in part: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
“I knew that I would be a part of a ministry that would unify the body of Christ into soldiers who would reach out to one another and to the lost in the last days,” Snyder said. “Many people attend church, but the pool of discipleship is shallow, so I saw training modules online to disciple people and take them deeper than they may have gone attending church or Bible study. I envisioned this Army uniting various ministries and supporting churches and organizations.”
Overall, Snyder said she lives her life by the power of Christ and not just with Christ as a thing she turns to from time to time when needed. She gives a great example of her philosophy:
“Picture our lives being a power strip. We plug so many things into the power strip — work, family, hobbies, and God,” she said. “But that is all wrong. God must be the power strip and everything in our life should be plugged into Him as our power source. He gives us life and then we have His power in everything we do.”
“He shouldn’t be one of the ‘plug-ins’ in our life, but rather we should live plugged into Him and the calling He has for us,” she added.
It’s very brave, especially in this day and age, for any CEO to openly come out and proclaim their love of Christ. However, the backlash that typically follows from doing so is made moot in the face of the support from American Christians. Chick-fil-A has also had its share of backlash and continues to fight battles for its open adherence to scripture, but its support is so wide and far that it’s become the third most successful fast food joint in America.
But the reward isn’t the point. The point is that you feel a wholeness from your reliance and obedience to Christ. Perhaps being wealthy and successful is the plan, but maybe it’s not, but even if it’s not, you’ll feel free of chains as Snyder is trying to point out.
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