So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)
What is an ambassador? According to Wikipedia, an ambassador “is the ranking government representative stationed in a foreign capital.” An ambassador is expected to protect the citizens and work for peace.
If you have looked at our world at all, you know we need a lot of ambassadors. Everywhere. Each day there seems to be a news story about hate and violence. People seem to protect themselves and not look out for each other.
So, what are we to do?
In 2 Corinthians 5:15 the Bible says this:
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
First, I love that it says “He died for everyone” (emphasis mine.) So often we think of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and we think “He died to save me.” And he did because you are part of everyone. But he also died for your neighbor, the co-worker that annoys you, your family member, and the guy on the corner that is homeless. He also died for all of the people throughout history that have done detestable things to each other.
So how should we ambassador?
We no longer live for ourselves. We live for Christ. We recognize that we are no better than the doers of detestable (or irritating) things. We spend time showing God’s love and reaching beyond ourselves. We are always on the look-out for ways to protect and help each other.
Our community, our little corner of the world, is where we serve as an ambassador. When we look at where our world is headed, Jesus needs more ambassadors than ever, don’t you think?