Personally, I think I lean more on the optimistic side of things. I tend to look on the brighter side of life, and I’m pretty upbeat most of the time, but even I have to admit that things in the world are broken. In some cases, it seems broken beyond repair. When times were simpler and less technologically advanced, people seemed happier, but we can’t go back to those times. It is God’s plan that every generation become wiser. His hope is that as we increase our understanding of how things work, we will also diligently seek to know the Creator that has created everything we see. It doesn’t appear that people are doing this, and for the believer, it can be quite discouraging to witness so many turn their backs on God, but we can’t give up. God’s charge to His people, regardless of the circumstances and conditions that exist or the period they live in, is to inspire others with a hope in Him. In order to do this, we’ve got to have hope in Him ourselves.
God commands us in 2Timothy 2:15 to be a diligent worker when it comes to studying His Word. We should work hard to receive His approval this way, then we will not be ashamed to speak His Word plainly to anyone. If we’ve studied the Word enough, we can speak its truth plainly to anyone, no matter their educational, financial, religious, or social background. This is what God wants us to do. It doesn’t matter what time in history we are born and live, this is His expectation.
We often surround ourselves with people who believe and think much like ourselves. Because of this, we don’t have a perception of how severe the spiritual drought in the world really is, and we may not see ourselves as being able to do anything about it. In truth, we absolutely can do something about it. Everyone can’t stand in front of a church with hundreds or thousands of people. Everyone can’t write sermons or speeches, but everyone that has the love of Christ in their hearts can show it in a way that is meaningful to God’s Kingdom.
There is an old saying that truth doesn’t need any embellishments. Truth is something that radiates from the depth of our cores. When our belief in God’s Word is firmly in our hearts, people can tell. It communicates louder than any words we might speak. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to study God’s Word, to read it and then pray for understanding and wisdom about what we’ve read. Our faith is built this way.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) tells us, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” As ambassadors for Christ, we are representatives of the Kingdom of God. There is no greater Kingdom in all of eternity! Our position as ambassadors for Christ is one that is of the highest honor and prestige, but it is also a position of the greatest humility, compassion, grace, and love. This is the spiritual and moral character we should aspire to have, and it is how we please God.
Some of us forget that we are ambassadors for Christ. We forget the things God has told us to do, and then we allow opportunities to introduce others to the Kingdom to slip by us. The
Book of Malachi tells us a little bit about what happens when people turn away from God’s instructions and direction. In the beginning chapters, we learn that God’s people began to dishonor the sacrifices He had instructed them to make. In Malachi 1:6-7(NLT), God spoke to the people through the prophet, Malachi. This passage says, “6 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ 7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.”
The people became blasé and lacked excitement about the things of God. They slacked off from doing what He told them to do, and they paid a hefty price for this. They didn’t have any progress or advancement in their lives, but instead, they muddled around in circles of confusion, much like we see today. As believers, we must understand that the quality of our lives is tied to our obedience to God. He will place a hedge around us.
Jesus Christ shows us something very important in Luke 6:38(NLT) when he said, “The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” We will reap what we sow, and we will see the fruition of this law in our lives with every breath we take. The amount of dedication and commitment we have as ambassadors for Christ will boomerang back to us, and so will the blessings of life. God designed the universe this way. He designed it to support and be very friendly towards our efforts to be what He has called us to be. We will find that many of the blessings we have desired will be unlocked as we claim our true destiny, be obedient to God’s Word, and remember to walk as Christ ambassadors each day. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
"Don’t Forget You’re An Ambassador for Christ”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life© 2019. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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