Ambassadors for Christ

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.  We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”  ~2 Corinthians 5:20

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ~Galatians 5:22-23

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.  ~Philippians 4:9

Sometimes I get my inspiration at unexpected times, from unexpected places.  Earlier this week I went to lunch with a couple of friends.  While I was standing in line waiting to pay my bill, I observed that the cashier was a very positive and friendly young man.  He was cheerful with everyone, and even joked with some.  His attitude made me smile.

When I was close enough, I glanced at his name tag to discern his name and job title.  Was he a cashier, a host, a waiter, or maybe even a manager?  No. None of those titles appeared on his tag.  Underneath this gentleman’s name were the words, Kindness Ambassador. Yes, that was the title engraved on his name tag—Kindness Ambassador.

Shouldn’t we all have that job title?  In one of his letters to the Corinthians, Paul teaches us that followers of Christ are His ambassadors to the world.  As Christ’s disciples, we are called to be his voice—a voice that brings others into a relationship with God.  Certainly, if we consistently treat others with kindness, they will be more open to hearing the message we have to share.

In what other ways can we be ambassadors for Christ to the world?  We can be:

• Ambassadors of love. We can love our neighbor and our enemy.  We can show God’s love to the least and the lost through acts of generosity and service.  We can be part of a fellowship of believers that lives out the Gospel of love every day.  We can pray with someone in need of healing or comfort.
• Ambassadors of peace.  We can be voices of calm and reason in a turbulent world.  We can interject positive messages where negativity abounds. We can show others how to disagree without anger and hate.  We can be reconcilers by striving to heal the broken relationships in our own lives.
• Ambassadors of Joy.  We can be a light to someone who is surrounded by darkness.  We can bring laughter and fun where it is desperately needed.  We can sing praises to God that others can hear.  We can introduce others to the Source of our joy.
• Ambassadors of mercy.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have wronged someone.   We can offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us.  We can show mercy, even when it is underserved.  We can share with others the mercy God showed us through the death and resurrection of his Son.
• Ambassadors of courage.  We can demonstrate courage in our own lives by bravely facing our challenges and fears.  We can step outside our comfort zones and allow God to lead us where He wants us to go.  We can be encouragers to someone who is afraid or unsure.  We can be the nudge someone needs to take their next steps, or we can walk beside someone who isn’t ready to take those steps alone.
• Ambassadors of hope.  We can share the Good News about our Heavenly Father.  We can tell others about the hope we find in our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.  We can encourage others to open up their hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to fill their hearts with hope.

Let’s be Christ’s ambassadors–offering kindness, love, peace, joy, mercy, courage, and hope to a hurting world.  Let’s make a difference!

How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world.  ~Anne Frank

Be blessed!