Ambassadors

We’ve been focusing on Ephesians 6 with the girls and I’ve been really thinking about what it means to be an ambassador of Christ. I know ambassadors at the international level, but I have experience as an ambassador for Florida State University. I loved it!

I gave tours to prospective students and their families and attempted to persuade them to attend. We shared the highlights of many of the colleges and put positive spins on things like community bathrooms. I couldn’t always speak from experience- my dorms residence halls were recently renovated and had suite style rooms and my single major was special education. I could memorize the information about some of the other things though and point them in the right direction if they had specifics. If they requested it far enough in advance or there was last minute availability, we were always happy to make arrangements with advisors from the departments they were interested in and encouraged people to tour both styles of dorms residence halls. It was my job to be friendly and I was expected not to be a blemish to the school’s reputation.

No one expected me to have all the answers- I needed to know more than the average student, but not everything. The reason I was hired though was because I love FSU! Football is fun, but there’s so much more to the school than that!! I’m the third generation to attend there and I’d love for our girls to attend there too (if we can get scholarships and instate tuition). I love the stories my mom and grandma have shared and passed down and will add my own to pass along to the next generation of ‘Noles.

Paul declared himself and us as ambassadors of Christ.

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2Co 5:18-20 ESV)

What does it mean to be an ambassador of the gospel? We must be ready to share the highlights even when we may not have all of the answers but we should be expected to know more than nonbelievers. At FSU, we didn’t expect first time visitors to be ready to navigate the campus alone. We walked them to some of the nearby rooms and offices and at the very least drew on the campus maps we gave them, circling key places. Do we take such care with non- or new believers or do we expect them to navigate the scriptures on their own? The Bible study some friends and I have been doing here takes the scripture little by little.

As ambassadors of the gospel we must draw people in. I understand that not everyone is an extrovert, but we must be seeking new people for God’s kingdom. My role at FSU was to appeal to high school students and their parents. We had the occasional grad student too and at times alumni would come wanting to see how things had changed. If the school didn’t bring in new students year after year, it would cease to fulfill its purpose. I’m sure there would still be research being conducted by professors in various departments, but the bottom line is, schools are designed for students. Even if we gave tour after tour, if they didn’t apply and enroll we would have failed in our roles.

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that as ambassadors for Christ, God is making his appeal through us. In the Greek, the word translated as appeal also translates as ‘to call for’.

Think about that for a moment.

We are entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation. God is using us to call for others. Are we appealing to people in our appeals? Yes, the Holy Spirit draws people and we will fail without Him, but we have been given a ministry. Yes, there may be believers seeking a new place to worship, but really, we need to be appealing to new people with God’s message of redemption. We must call to others that they may be reconciled to God just as we have been reconciled. Just as my passion for my school drew people in, we must be passionate about the gospel! Paul shares his desire to proclaim it boldly… as he ought to. Are we bold in our speech? Do people see the glory of God through the way we speak of Him and His kingdom?

Sometimes it may be a struggle. As Paul stated that he was an ambassador in chains, we must remember that even (dare I say, especially) when we encounter turmoil, people will be watching us to see how our faith is lived out. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s hard… and that’s when we appeal to others to pray on our behalf.

As we live out our lives, we need to remember the honor in the title we have been given. God has entrusted us to make known the mystery of the gospel. Notice in 2 Corinthians 5:19 it says that God was reconciling the world to himself… the world. We must be ambassadors to everyone, everywhere.

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Eph 6:18-20 NAS)

As much as I loved my job at FSU, this role as ambassador far surpasses any campus tour. It is more difficult and I can’t clock in and out. It is more demanding as there are forces much greater than UF and UM working against us. But the benefit package is heaven sent. We go out as Christ’s ambassadors, but we don’t go out alone!

Live out your life and faith in the honor of being one of Christ’s ambassadors appealing on His behalf to the world!