Ambassadors for Christ

The Commission

"I asked the Lord to help my neighbor,

And carry the gospel to distant lands,

And to comfort the sick but He said to me,

If you love Me, be My hands.

"I asked the Lord to go to the dying,

And the orphan on the street,

And visit the prisoner, but He said to me,

If you love Me, be My feet.

"I asked the Lord to look to the poor,

And watch over the babe that cries,

And see each man's need, but He said to me,

If you love Me, be My eyes.

"I said to the Lord, I want to serve You,

But I don't know where to start.

To love is the answer, He said to me.

If you love Me, be My heart."

- G. Shirie Westfall

     We typically think of a missionary as someone who lives five thousand miles away from home, in a grass hut. But being a missionary starts HERE: right where God has placed us.

     In John Piper's book, "Desiring God," he makes the point that we should be so full of love and joy for God, that everyone we come in contact with will see it. Are we showing God's love to those around us? Or are we mirroring this world?

     As Christians, we are called to represent Christ on this earth.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on the behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

- 2 Corinthians 5:20

     That doesn't mean that only Christians who are living five thousand miles away from home are called to be an "ambassador" for our Lord. It means that whether you are married or live with your parents; whether you are a pastor or work at McDonald's; whether you are a missionary in a foreign country or a kid at school: you are called to show the love of Christ to everyone, right where you are.