“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20a NIV
It was humiliating! I was just an innocent little kid. I was visiting my grandfather in a little village on the prairies. My grandfather decided to take me downtown. He held my hand and proudly paraded me down main street from store to store.
I’m not complaining about the walk. Believe me, it wasn’t a long walk in Torquay, Saskatchewan. It was the humiliation that came with it in every conversation.
From store to store, my grandfather would proudly show off my ears and compare them to his gigantic muffs. “See, he has the Salte ears”, he’d proudly proclaim. I wanted to dive underneath the store displays. Was it my fault that I looked like a 56 Chevy driving down the street with the front doors open?
The worst part was looking at my grandfather and seeing my future. Not only were his ears big but it also seemed as though his hair had receded from his head and was poking through his ears in big clumps. Not only did I have even bigger ears to look forward to; they were also going to be hairy.
I can’t help it. One of the genetic traits in my family is huge ears. We’re not talking about slightly larger than normal audio receivers. We’re talking about flaps that intimidate Dumbo the elephant. On a windy prairie day, if we weren’t careful our ears could get caught up and spin our heads like roosters on the barn roof.
If I ever questioned my heritage, all I had to do was look at my own shadow. Remember Dopey in Snow White? He must have been a relative. As much as I tried to hide my ears with hair or hats, they’d pop out at the most inconvenient of times and reveal my true genetic code.
You’ve been coded as well. You’re a part of the worship team. Everywhere you go people are watching. That’s a lot of responsibility to hold. That’s true for all Christians but especially true of those who stand on the platform on Sunday morning.
We can call it role modeling. We can call it being an example. The apostle Paul simply called us ambassadors.
That’s a tall order to fill. In order to be an ambassador you have to give up your rights. You never have a day off. You represent your country in all you say and do. Every action reflects on your country. You forfeit certain freedoms and take on extra responsibilities. An ambassador is never to be absorbed by the country where the embassy is located. He is watched at every turn. People watch the ambassador from Norway to see what Norwegians are like. When you think of it, it’s not an easy job.
Your job isn’t easy either. Your job doesn’t end once you step off the platform. Your public position comes with a price. You’re an ambassador for your church. More importantly, you’re an ambassador for your God.
People are watching you to see what a true Christian is like. “But that’s not fair”, I hear you say. “That wasn’t a part of the formal job description,” you protest. “My job description revolved around strings and picks and capos and Eb chords written by malicious keyboard players.”
But the truth is out. You’re coded. The sword has been drawn and you’ve been dubbed an ambassador.
Now the challenge is to know your citizenship very well. It’s time to dig into the visitors guide, the Bible. It’s time to let the culture of God infuse your very being until you think, act and breathe the very nature of your citizenship.
Here’s your new job description as an ambassador. The Apostle Paul already wrote it for you:
“Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
"Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father."
Colossians 3:12-17 NLT
But remember that when you’re feeling weak as an ambassador, there’s another truth you need to remember. You have diplomatic immunity. There’s always a fresh start in Jesus Christ.
If you haven’t lived your citizenship for awhile, why don’t you start today? God is calling you as His ambassador.
Your Heavenly Father wants to take your hand and show you off to the world. He cares nothing about your ears. It’s your kindred heart He’s looking for.
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