That we may prove it. We have to realize that we (Christians) are ambassadors for Christ. Let's take a moment, and consider what an awesome privilege and honor it is to represent our Father in Heaven. ......... Now let's take another moment and consider the enormous responsibility that comes along with this privilege.......... The caliber of our representation of Jesus Christ, can either bring people (souls) TO Christ or turn them AWAY.
"Ambassador" is defined by Google as,
"A person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity/body."
Matthew 5:16 instructs us, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." As a "professed" Christian, whether you like it or not, you are a representative of Jesus Christ. To "profess" means to affirm openly; declare or claim. Do you realize the significance of that? To some, you are ALL they know of Jesus Christ. All that they have seen or heard of Jesus Christ is wrapped up in You. They may never have read ONE word of the bible or stepped ONE foot in a church... But they know that you are a Christian and have professed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Do you represent Him well? If one were to observe you for a week, would they be able to tell you apart from one who does not walk with Christ? Would they observe Christ-like characteristics in your speech, behavior, interactions with loved ones as well as strangers, your outward appearance, the places you go, how you handle adversity, etc? All of these, are things to consider, as we contemplate what it means to "not conform".
Ephesians 4:29-33 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
According to 1 Timothy 4:12, we must "...be an example (even) to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." If we are commanded to be an example to our fellow believers - how much more so must we consider the example we are setting to those who do not yet know Christ??
1 Corinthians 8:9-10 - "But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?" --Although in its context this verse is addressing the eating of meat that was intended to be offered to idols - I would urge you to read it in your own time - the premise is applicable to what we are discussing here. We must "beware", be on guard, be aware, be conscious of the fact that our actions, words, the way we conduct our lives, can (if we are not careful) cause another to stumble. When I read this verse, I think of how many times I've heard someone say, "No, I don't go to church... for what, half the people IN church do X,Y,Z" or "Christians are hypocrites. You say don't do this or that, yet you do X,Y,Z"... Of course, NONE of us are perfect, BUT we should constantly be striving for perfection. We shouldn't apply the word to the parts of our lives that are convenient to us, meanwhile wrongly justifying to ourselves, why we continue to do other things we know to be wrong. We must, "be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]." - James 1:22.
* sidenote - If you are reading this and thinking, "Yep, that's me... That's why I don't attend church or believe in Jesus, because I see so many who claim to believe in Him, but whose lives don't truly reflect what they profess to believe," I would remind you that at the end of the day we are all responsible for our own lives, do not let the shortcomings/imperfections of another, prevent you from experiencing the love of Jesus Christ. The people you have seen are real people, with real struggles. Don't base your Faith and Salvation on what you perceive as hypocrisy. Don't judge them, but rather, love them, as Jesus Christ loves YOU.
Continuing on, it is not enough for you to solely profess to love Jesus. Your actions/conduct must also express this sentiment. This is a simple concept: ACTIONS speak louder than words. In Matthew, chapter 7, verses 21-23, Jesus warns us, " Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, --- but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven... And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]."
In the same book, in Matthew 18:5-6, Jesus solemnly states, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea."
I remember the first time I read that verse. It weighed heavily on my heart. You see, I love Jesus with ALL of my heart and cannot imagine my life without Him. I want nothing more, than for everyone to experience His love and come to know Him intimately for themselves. I remember thinking, "God forbid, that anything I would say or do, would turn another off to Jesus Christ." To think that I could possibly be responsible for causing someone else to not experience His loving mercy, to not experience salvation... that would be more than my heart could stand. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.
"Being responsible for somebody else’s downfall is not something we want to have weigh on our conscience. If we have said or done wrong things that led somebody else astray, we should do all that we can to set the record straight. It is imperative that we adopt Jesus’ intensity in exercising extreme caution that we do not put stumbling blocks before others. Unless we know what we are saying and doing is of the Lord, we may well be better off keeping our mouths shut, our keyboards silent, and our lives out of the public eye. When we are sure that we are ready to be those who speak the truth and live it out, let us do it with boldness, courage, and perseverance. We can stand in the gap for the weak and for the innocent, and we can knock stumbling blocks out of their paths. "
Excerpt taken from Relevant Bible Teaching.Com
The great thing is that God has placed us in each other's lives for a reason! We are here to encourage one another. You are not alone. God has placed Sisters in your life who love you and want God's best for you! If there is anything that you are struggling with and/or would like us to be in prayer with/for you, let us know. That's what we are here for.
In closing, please join me in prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I love you and I thank you for entrusting ME with the awesome honor of representing you, to the world. Please forgive me for the times that I have misrepresented you. Please forgive me for the times that I have done, that which I know I should not do, and for the times that I have Not done that which, I know I should do. From this day on, I shall make a conscious effort to not only be a hearer of your precious word, but a doer. I will not be selective in the word I apply to my life. I will strive to present my body as a living sacrifice and will not conform to this world. It is my prayer that when people look at me, they will see you shining through (your love, your mercy, your peace, etc). I pray that my heart will be a reflection of yours, to everyone you place in my life. Lord, fill my heart; create in me a pure heart and renew within me, a righteous spirit. It is my desire to live a life that is pleasing to you. Your word says that as I draw nigh unto you, you will draw nigh unto me. I thank you God, for your presence in my life. My life is not my own, but yours. Use me, God, as you see fit.
In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
A wonderful song to set help set the atmosphere of our hearts... Have a listen.
"Called To Be" by Jonathan Nelson
Interesting conversation I had yesterday with a co-worker... again it goes along with our topic of conformity and being called to be different.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to a co-worker of mine, who happens to be a self-proclaimed atheist. Somehow we landed on the topic of profanity in the workplace. I told him I was taken aback by the amount of profanity I hear from our co-workers (him included) in our office on a daily basis. He stated I shouldn't let it bother me, that there "really aren't any cuss/curse words anymore", and that society as a whole "doesn't really get offended by much". He then went on to say, in a matter-of-fact tone, "I mean, think about it, even (our co-workers) Marie and Frank (both Self-proclaimed Christians) curse.
~ real names not used
This conversation illustrates many of the points in Monday's blog. The world is observing Christians. We are representatives of Christ. How is it that a non-believer, a self-proclaimed atheist, holds Christians to a higher moral standard, then they hold themselves to? We have to do better. As Christians are we not supposed to live our lives in a "Christ-like" manner?
What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD) = simply profound ... Consider it a spiritual pH paper. It's a consistent way to measure and gauge our conduct - if an action, behavior, phrase, response, activity, etc is questionable... Ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" — And then respond accordingly.
As we were having this conversation, this above excerpt came to mind: "It is imperative that we adopt Jesus’ intensity in exercising extreme caution that we do not put stumbling blocks before others. Unless we know what we are saying and doing is of the Lord, we may well be better off keeping our mouths shut, our keyboards silent, and our lives out of the public eye. When we are sure that we are ready to be those who speak the truth and live it out, let us do it with boldness, courage, and perseverance."
Today, God, search our hearts. I ask that you would remove anything that is not like you - any thoughts, actions, beliefs, habits, etc that do not reflect your heart. Father, I ask that you would create in us pure hearts and renew within us a RIGHTeous spirit - your Holy Spirit. It is our desire to be earthly reflections of your Heavenly love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen
As ambassadors, we do TRULY represent Him and Amen to your/our prayer.
ReplyDeleteI take joy in doing your will. My God, for your law is written on my heart. Psalm 40:8
I can’t wait to hear the words "well done" come out of His mouth, to me.
We need to step up in our walk, by truly living the word of God, not just acting it out. So many of us say we are saved, but are we? Because the bible also says that faith without works is dead……
James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (NIV).
So how can we have so much faith, but so little walk? "Less talk. More walk." We as team can make a difference. Let’s step it up together! We can check our faith walk daily by talking to/with each other (our Sisters) about our daily works/walks, and encouraging/correcting each other!
One of my favorite quotes "Practice what you preach"
ReplyDelete