As
I begin to write this "I Am" statement, the word ambassador sends shivers up and down me. Not the word itself, but
the pictures that are conjured up in my imagination. Just weeks ago, as America
reminisced the devastation of 9.11.01, another act of terror was being
perpetrated on our US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Once again, Al-Qaeda struck
at the heart of our country, as they broke into, burned, and murdered four
Americans, including Ambassador Chris
Stevens. Being an ambassador is not a
cake walk. It is not a roll of glamour and glitz. It does not always come with
tantalizing benefits. It comes at great
risk, immense vulnerability, and excessively dangerous potential. As an ambassador, one represents his country.
So, as far as your country finds favor, you will find favor. If you believe in your country, have faith in
your government, honor the fundamentals of her foundation, and love what she
stands for, representing her is a great honor.
An honor that comes with great cost.
A cost that must be considered before taking the job. Loyalty and
patriotism to a cause are not easy.
Those who claim the identity: I Am Reconciled, also receive another I
Am Truth: Ambassador. We don't have one without the other. Re-read above paragraph again...there are a
lot of comparisons for the “reconciled” follower of Jesus Christ. It is not easy being an ambassador;
it’s risky and
comes with a great cost. Ask Paul, the
Apostle. Yet the man considered the cost, just as Jesus
asked all his followers (see Luke 14:25-33).
He considered the cost, and then gladly declared, “But whatever
gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I counted everything as loss because
of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all
things and count them as rubbish...(Philippians 3:7-8). Who does this? I think I know. One who never gets over who they were, what
they were, and whose they are now. One
who remembers they aren’t worthy, but
absolutely know that in Jesus, they have become something so much more. One who remembers what life was like under
slavery, now set free, but not just free, handed a remarkable calling. A calling to represent the Kingdom of New
Life. Read his words:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
One word stands out to me in that passage - the word entrust. Paul understood what an honor it was to be entrusted with the message of reconciliation. He never lost sight of that honor...no matter how difficult the job became. I'm just beginning to comprehend it. I wish I understood it more. Maybe the shivers would fade away. I've begun to pray that like Paul, I would never "get over" my new life in Jesus and what it means. May I always be "One Who Remembers."
No comments:
Post a Comment