Craig’s Corner
“True Ambassadors of Christ”
Paul would describe one of our roles as being “Ambassadors of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). And you would think many had never read that verse before. For as they journey through life, it doesn’t seem to dawn on them that they are not on their own journey, but rather they are on a journey of Christ’s. Their ambitions, friendships, conversations, careers and even church activities tend to be what fits in their plans without much if any consideration for what Christ’s plans may be. A few years ago the W.W.J.D. bracelets and jewelry made an impact and then because of the commercialization of it, caused many to tire of the whole concept. I never bought a bracelet, but it didn’t stop me from looking for a greater purpose than my own as I journeyed each day. And as we seek God’s purpose for us in our 2014 Theme: “Speak Life”, we must secure our lives within His will in our daily lives. For it is not inconceivable that while Speaking Life, but not Living Life we can unplug our message. The cool part is that God can find a way to be worked into nearly every activity and effort you can come across. There is another “camp” on this Ambassador role we often try to serve. Some would love to dictate to others what “God wants” or what “He believes” and are willing to extend that beyond what the Scriptures actually say. They may justify this by adding some long passed Saint who held this view. There are a few problems that are created by this. First … what if he is wrong? Perhaps Culture of his time or his Religious baggage framed his thoughts. Another would be that God isn’t requiring that you know a “brotherhood response” to a Biblical issue … He wants a Biblical response. That requires that we gain a personal understanding. In 2014, an Ambassador of our country would not “wing it” on International policies of our country nor would they just take some one else’ word for it. To not successfully represent the nation clearly on International matters is to in fact fail at their role. The results can be catastrophic! And simply put, if we fail to accurately represent Christ the results can have eternal consequences in the lives God has sent us to serve. So how do we do this? Read God’s Word regularly so you are comfortable speaking on His behalf. Make sure your lifestyle is compatible with one who claims to be “in Christ”. Don’t be afraid to revisit issue “resolved” 200 years ago by Campbell and Stone. Invest yourself in the importance of being right with God and not just popular with others. The result? God will invest you and us in His efforts to redeem and reconcile our family, friends and neighbors to Himself!
Your fellow Ambassador Craig