Tag Archives: ambassadors of Christ

Being the messenger – Living the message

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I liked the inscription above the doors as you turned to leave the sanctuary where Jim and Priscilla Frier worshipped. It read:

 

“You are now entering the mission field.”

 

They understood that we don’t change the world by going to church, but by being the church once you leave the building. Actions do speak louder than words. That was Paul’s message to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 6). Don’t accept God’s gift of grace in vain; don’t receive it only to toss it aside as if it had no value. Instead, today is the day to put God’s grace to work.

 

That’s a helpful message for us today. Wherever we go and under every kind of circumstance we face, we are God’s ambassador. Like it or not, the way we respond to life sends a clear message to those who don’t follow God’s ways (yet). The question is, what kind of an ambassador am I? What message do I communicate? Is it a stepping stone that helps others see the grace of God or a stumbling block that trips them up? Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t make you a super human able to escape the trials of life. But the Spirit of Jesus in us does make it possible to:

Endure instead of give up in times of trouble and hardship.

Remain pure in an Ashley Madison corrupt world.

Be patient in times of stress and sincere in love – even tough love.

Remain truthful when it’s easier to lie and humble in our achievements and victories.

Become peacemakers and uniters instead of dividers.

Invest my life, not waste it.

Remain content whether we have lots or little.

Stay true to the call to be in the world but not of the world; transformed by God, not conformed to worldly ambitions.

 

We live together in this temporary life, believers and unbelievers. We’re warned to not make binding commitments with nonbelievers if it would compromise our faith or integrity. But we’re invited, actually literally commanded, to go out into the world and be salt and light, positive influences that implore others to turn to God, not out of judgment but out of the love and mercy we ourselves have freely received. First on the list though is making sure that we are living the lives of truth and grace before asking others to follow our steps.

 

Lord, reveal to me today anything that may be a stumbling block, not only to others, but in my own relationship with you:
– my heart’s desires and ambitions
– the way handle interruptions
– what I consider to be important
– how I listen – and respond – to others
– the words I speak and my actions too…

Draw me close to you. Help me aim higher.

 

 

Now arriving

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While traveling on a ‘memory maker’ trip last week, we were greeted by this sign in one of the airports.

NOW ARRIVING:
HOPE
DREAMS
FAITH

It was a refreshing greeting and reminded me that wherever we go, our hopes, dreams, and faith (also love) go with us. And I wondered, are these evident when we go about our routine daily travels? Are they ‘carry ons’ or ‘stow away luggage’? Are faith, hope and love generally manifest when we walk into a room? Is our everyday conversation more often characterized by these or by complaining? Do we carry the dreams of who we want to become when we go to the grocery store or pay our bills? Or do we reserve these honorable qualities for more ‘spiritual’ times?

While visiting with my sister, the question came up:
Are we primarily spiritual beings with an earthly body, or are we earthly beings with a spiritual component? How would you answer? On the one hand, the earthly side of us is quite evident. We breathe, laugh, cry, suffer in pain, and experience the wear and tear on our physical bodies. And of course we have ambitions tied to those earthly bodies, desires for certain foods, clothes, shelter, and so much more. We readily feel and experience the effect of both pain and pleasure on our physical bodies, don’t we?

On the other hand, the bible tells us that while we are created both physically and spiritually, our essence and purpose is spiritually and relationship driven. Paul writes that we are aliens and strangers in this land, ambassadors to a foreign country. He further says that this earthly body is like a temporary tent while our spirit is our permanent temple.

If that is the case, why don’t we more often experience the world through our spiritual self? Why don’t we more often see with spiritual focus, hear with spiritual enlightenment, and touch with spiritual compassion? After all, our lives are blessed as are others when we experience life in this manner. Perhaps it is because we lack the regular discipline to consider spiritual living as our default mode. We are often distracted by ‘shiny things’ and the call of worldly things. We get off track dozens of times each day. I confess, sometimes I find myself distracted even while praying! What are we then to do?

Consider what you do when you encounter a road detour. Your choice always is to either focus on the problem or focus on the solution. It doesn’t help to ignore the physical situation but focusing on your hope of finding your way to getting back on track is the solution that sees you through. Isn’t the same true with spiritual living? There is no need to beat ourselves up over life distractions; simply turn our focus back to God and enjoy the reconnection with his presence.

Here is a practical application. Whenever you change environments this week – from one room to the next, from one meeting to the next, from home to work – ask yourself, “Is faith, hope and love arriving with me?”

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

What kind of an ambassador are you?

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There has been some opposition to recently appointed ambassadors who appear to be not only unqualified for their jobs but also apathetic toward their duties. It is reported that the new ambassador to Hungary is completely unaware of USA strategic interests there. The new ambassador to Norway seems clueless of that county’s political structure or really anything about the country. In fairness, this may be more common than we think but it is concerning none the less.

An ambassador is a high-ranking person who represents his or her own government while living in another country. Appointed for a special and often for a temporary assignment, it is the role of the ambassador to represent goodwill.

Did you know that you are an ambassador? Paul says we are ambassadors for Christ. One of our primary responsibilities is to represent Jesus while we live in a “foreign country.” The epistles talk repeatedly that we are “aliens” or “foreigners” in a strange land. In other words, this is not our permanent home. 1 John 2 reminds us that we are not to get attached to anything in this world. It will turn us away from our job as ambassadors.

What kind of an ambassador are you? (I ask the same question about myself.) How qualified are we to be good ambassadors for Christ? I know the phrase “He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. OK, but do our behaviors demonstrate that we are being equipped? Or does our Christ nature shut off when we leave through the physical church doors?

Pastor Chad Roberts started a website to give a place for dialog from service workers who have stories to tell about ‘Christians’ who have belittled and berated them and generally demonstrated bad behavior. You will cringe to read the stories at www.sundaysaretheworst.com but it might also be an eye opener and reminder that we are ambassadors, whether we want to be or not. The website is called “Sundays are the worst” in reference to the number of ‘Christians’ who flock to restaurants after Sunday church service, only to have quickly forgotten who they are when they walk out of church.

Now, I get it that lots of people are rude and demanding. But they all aren’t called to be ambassadors. Christians are.

So here is the question, “What kind of ambassadors are we?” Do our actions, attitudes, and behaviors reflect that we truly follow Jesus? Or do we treat others in the service industry (restaurants, call centers, customer service, hotels) as if they were beneath us? Phil 2:3-4 tells us to put others first and doesn’t exclude people in service jobs. In fact Jesus modeled this when He washed the disciples feet, normally the job of a slave in those days.

Show others there are Christians who care, true ambassadors of Christ who try to live in this foreign land with kindness and goodness. And while you are at it, leave a generous tip!