Christ's Ambassadors

             There’s an old joke about the driver who exhibited all the characteristics of road rage.  She honked her horn vigorously, screamed at the other drivers, used unacceptable hand gestures, and was just obnoxious.  Suddenly, a police officer appeared at her window and asked to see her license and registration.  After comparing the two, the officer said: “I’m sorry but when I saw how you were acting and the Christian bumper stickers on your car, I naturally assumed that the car was stolen.  Sorry for my mistake.”

            The joke is funny, but the reality of it is not.  I know I’m guilty of yelling at drivers when they do stupid things, not that I’ve ever done something stupid while driving. Once I yelled at a bank teller and then realized I was depositing my paycheck from my church.  Don’t look too surprised!  If you are honest, I’m sure that you’ve done something similar.  The point is that as Christians we represent Christ in everything we do.  2 Corinthians 5:20 says that we are Christ’s ambassadors, which means that we may be the only Jesus that some people ever see.

            In my last post, I asked what keeps us from “seeing’ Jesus.  Today, my question is:  what Jesus do others see in us?

            Don’t get me wrong.  I know that none of us are going to be perfect this side of Heaven.  Paul makes that very clear in Romans when he says that no matter how much good he wants to do, evil is always right there (Romans 7:21).  Does that mean that we just throw in the towel and say it’s hopeless?  Absolutely not!  Because of Christ and our acceptance of His gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit lives in us, and with His help, we can overcome our sinful nature.

            No matter who you are, your age, your profession, or any other characteristic that defines you, someone is watching you.  They are observing how you react in certain situations.  Some may be looking for your weak spots and there are probably a few that would like to see you fall on your face.  So, how do you represent Christ to them?

            First, we must humble ourselves and admit that we are sinners.  Get rid of the judgmental attitude and remember that God does not give grades for sin.  You don’t get a B+ while someone else gets a D-.  We tend to see the “little white lie” sins and compare them to the “death-penalty” sins, but God says sin is sin and everyone has done their share (Romans 3:23).  Don’t be ashamed to admit that you have sinned.  The only thing that makes Christians different from other sinners is Christ!

            Secondly, we need to seek the Holy Spirit’s help.  We aren’t going to overcome sin by ourselves.  The flesh is too weak.  We need the power of God to change us from the inside out.  We need to pray for His help daily.  Without His help, I don’t even want to think about what kind of “ambassador” I would be!

            People need to see Jesus, but since He is no longer here in the flesh, we are all they have to “see”.  What kind of Jesus will they “see” in you today?

2 Corinthians 5: 20