{"id":12348,"date":"2013-06-07T01:00:51","date_gmt":"2013-06-07T05:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=12348"},"modified":"2013-06-06T21:17:35","modified_gmt":"2013-06-07T01:17:35","slug":"glorious-living-w-coach-megan-christs-ambassadors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/07\/glorious-living-w-coach-megan-christs-ambassadors\/","title":{"rendered":"Glorious Living w\/ Coach Megan: Christ’s Ambassadors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GL<\/a><\/h2>\n
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2 Corinthians 5:20 and 21<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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We are therefore Christ\u2019s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ\u2019s behalf: Be reconciled to God.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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*********************<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>\u00a0Merriam-Webster\u2019s definition of Ambassador<\/em>:<\/p>\n

1:<\/strong> an official envoy; especially:<\/strong> a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment<\/em><\/div>\n
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2a:<\/strong> an authorized representative or messenger, b:<\/strong> an unofficial representative <traveling abroad as ambassadors of goodwill><\/em><\/div>\n
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Being a Christ follower, I am who people look to in order to see what Christianity is like. If you are a Christ follower, you are, too. Our eternal home is in Heaven, and our job as ambassadors of Christ is to show people how amazing it\u2019ll be through the way we live our life and how we interact with others\u2026showing<\/span> the love of Christ.<\/p>\n

Why are we<\/span> ambassadors? Jesus has instructed us to do so, in the Great Commission. In\u00a0Mark 6:15\u00a0Jesus\u00a0tell us to\u00a0\u201cGo into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.\u201d<\/em> That is all the reason we need, right? So then why is it so HARD to just do it??? Fear of rejection? Afraid you won\u2019t have all the answers? Why?<\/p>\n

We are commissioned\u00a0to NOT keep the good news to ourselves \u2013 it should be contagious!<\/em> In Matthew 10:27, \u00a0Jesus tells us \u201cWhat I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!\u201d <\/em>If you are called to do something by<\/span> the Lord and you choose to ignore that calling, not only are you not receiving the full blessing of God, but think of all the lives who are also not receiving it! God put you on this earth for a specific reason and puts you in the different seasons and places you are in for His purpose to be done on the earth. If you are not seeking Him to guide you through this life, to give you the boldness to be His ambassador, just think of the many lives you are not affecting<\/span>!<\/p>\n

Before we can be ambassadors, we need to know the person we are representing.\u00a0Think about it\u2026if you took a job as an ambassador of a country you knew nothing about and had never been to, you wouldn\u2019t be able to do a very good job of representing it, right?\u00a0It makes sense then that in order for us to do a good job of representing Christ to an unbelieving world, we need to first spend time getting to know Him. This means that we need to be spending time with Him on a regular basis—reading His Word, spending time in prayer, and growing closer to Him. He is craving this relationship with you\u2026.\u00a0all<\/span> relationships need work. Are you doing your part<\/span>?<\/p>\n

Being an ambassador of Christ means being “like Christ” and<\/span> having a servant\u2019s heart. We need to strive to:<\/p>\n

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  • Be kind and compassionate.<\/li>\n
  • Challenge what is wrong.<\/li>\n
  • Speak out for truth.<\/li>\n
  • Be joyful.<\/li>\n
  • Refuse to conform to society\u2019s standards.<\/li>\n
  • Have self-control.<\/li>\n
  • Do things only to please God, not man.<\/li>\n
  • Be spontaneous and creative.<\/li>\n
  • Think of others rather than yourself.<\/li>\n
  • Live out life in all its fullness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    We must\u00a0have integrity in our words and actions.<\/strong> Integrity means that what you say, what you profess to believe, and what you actually do, match up. This is certainly an intentional process. For us to be effective ambassadors of Christ, we can\u2019t go around claiming to love God and then not show that we love Him by our actions. Actions speak louder than words, right? It is imperative that our actions back the Word of God that we are professing. We are not perfect, we are human\u2026but we can strive to do our best, intentionally, everyday for His Glory!<\/p>\n

    We must\u00a0love people without any agenda.<\/strong> We don\u2019t love people so that they will become Christians. We show love to them because they are God\u2019s creation and sometimes, as a result of that, they will eventually come to accept Christ. We shouldn\u2019t give up on loving them if after a few months it has had no visible spiritual impact.\u00a0Loving people doesn’t mean doing good deeds begrudgingly for them because we feel as Christians that is what we should be doing.\u00a0If that is the case, we are acting out of duty, not love.\u00a0 Sometimes it can be hard, but we need to remember the example of Jesus. Many of the people He showed love to turned<\/span> their back on him (such as the time he healed\u00a0ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him). We are working for a heavenly reward, not an earthly one\u2026and that must remain at the front of our minds and hearts.<\/p>\n

    We must\u00a0encourage people\u00a0not to want to stay\u00a0\u201con the outside looking in.\u201d <\/strong>\u00a0This means making them want to be a part of the Christian community we are a part of. In Romans 11:14, Paul says \u201cI want somehow to make the people of Israel [the non-believing Jews] jealous of what you Gentiles [the early Christians] have.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0If people see contentment, joy, and genuine passion when they look to us they are going to be curious.\u00a0If all they see is people with the same doom and gloom as the godless world around them, they won\u2019t be interested. Would you?<\/p>\n

    We must be openly honest about\u00a0our faith, not hiding it when it is inconvenient.<\/strong> In Matthew 5:15, Jesus says \u201cNo one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.\u201d<\/em> Because sharing your faith isn\u2019t just about your words, it\u2019s about actions, too.\u00a0Here is a question to\u00a0honestly ask yourself: If someone was watching your life 24\/7 \u201cBig Brother\u201d style, how long would it take for them to realize you were a Christian? Would it be evident through the way you live your life, or would it take them until you went to church on Sunday to make the connection?<\/p>\n

    Hmmmmmm<\/span>? OUCH!<\/p>\n

    Being an ambassador of Christ means being his hands and feet to a world that desperately needs God.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    1 Corinthians 12:27 says that \u201cAll of you together are Christ\u2019s body, and each of you is a part of it.\u201d <\/em>You have probably heard the Casting Crowns song, If We Are the Body<\/em>, which has\u00a0a really challenging chorus for those of us who profess to be trying to be ambassadors of Christ.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf we are the body,<\/p>\n

    Why aren\u2019t His arms reaching, why aren\u2019t His hands healing,<\/p>\n

    Why aren\u2019t His words teaching, why aren\u2019t His feet going,<\/p>\n

    Why is His love not showing them there is a way?\u201d<\/p>\n

    If we\u00a0REALLY are\u00a0serious about being ambassadors of Christ, we need to reach out to the world through being Christ\u2019s hands and feet.<\/p>\n

    Being an ambassador is what we have been called to do. It is not optional to the Christian life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Ephesians 6:19 and 20<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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    Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0for<\/span> which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.<\/em><\/p>\n

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    Blessings, <\/em><\/p>\n

    Coach Megan \ud83d\ude42 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    2 Corinthians 5:20 and 21 We are therefore Christ\u2019s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ\u2019s behalf: Be reconciled to God.\u00a0 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ********************* \u00a0Merriam-Webster\u2019s definition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":10750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1977],"tags":[2644,2638,2637,1163,1959,144,2645,1983,257,2643,370,422,425,2073,2495,436,2646,12,554,2639,2640,2642,675,801,861,877,2641,2496,1032,2494],"class_list":["post-12348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-glorious-living","tag-1-corinthians-1227","tag-2-corinthians-520-21","tag-ambassador","tag-balance","tag-be-still","tag-bible","tag-casting-crowns","tag-christian-life-coach","tag-contentment","tag-ephesians-619-20","tag-family","tag-gifts","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-glorious-living-with-coach-megan","tag-glory-to-glory-christian-life-coaching","tag-god","tag-if-we-are-the-body","tag-integrity","tag-jesus","tag-mark-615","tag-matthew-1027","tag-matthew-515","tag-megan-smidt","tag-priorities","tag-quiet-time","tag-relationship","tag-romans-1114","tag-spiritual-health","tag-talents","tag-time-with-god","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/GL-header.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-3da","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12348"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12351,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12348\/revisions\/12351"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}