Shift Your Thinking For A Deeper Faithનમૂનો

Day Six

Christ’s Ambassadors

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20

As Christians, we have a rather long job description. It’s woven throughout the Bible, and there is no shortage of responsibilities and instruction for our thoughts, way-of-being, and actions.

Near the top of that list resides our mandate to “demonstrate to others the love and character of God.” We are charged to see our heart and actions minister to the basic needs of others, but also to move past the physical effects into impacting their soul and spirit. Our goal becomes less about impressing others with our actions or theological knowledge and more about leaving others with an impression of Christ that they will never be able to shake. This kind of spirit impact rarely, if ever, comes from doing things, as much as it comes from the heart and motives behind the things we do. It is the Christlike, unconditional love in these things that can arouse others into curiosity about Christ.

Today, there will be many opportunities to deliver an example of God’s heart and love. During those moments we will either be unconsciously us, consciously Christlike, or awkwardly bouncing back and forth in between. This ping-pong practice of service versus selfishness does nothing more than confuse and add suspicion that our motives are tainted somehow, and today, the tainted-motive meter toward Christians is more acute than ever, especially for younger generations. 

True and lasting ministry—regardless of where it shows up—resides in being Christlike in all aspects of doing the things we do, whether vocations or otherwise. It’s about the posture of our hearts being in that special space where the fruit of the Spirit is evident and we count others as more important than ourselves. If you want to get a clear indication of your witness, just look at how people react as you engage with them.

If our desire is to be a viable witness for Christ, our actions will go beyond basic obedience and will necessitate an ongoing awareness and practice of being loving, relevant, and valuable to those around us. Reaching the goal will require that we measure the effectiveness of our witness not by our intentions, but by the fruit of what shows up in relationship with others. 

What does it look like to measure your witness to non-Christians not by what you do or say but by the fruit that comes as a result?