I'm horrible at this blogging thing! Just when I promise myself that school isn't so busy and I will start posting more, I decide to wait nearly three weeks in between posts. I have a good excuse... I want to give everyone an ample amount of time to read the posts without feeling overwhelmed! How's that!?!?!
Anyway, on to the real reason for this post...
Last Thursday I was having somewhat of a "rough" day. After looking back, it really wasn't that bad. I have a tendency to be slightly dramatic at times. Regardless, I had a HUGE midterm Thursday night that I was moderately worried about. So I was in the middle of having a pity party for myself when the Lord completely stepped in and took control. As I was walking across campus I spotted a dear friend whom I hadn't seen in several weeks. I got very excited and rushed right over to say 'hello.' We sat and chatted together for a good long while. It was great! We were able to catch up on things and have an encouraging conversation.
Feeling much better about the day, I still had to get some studying done. Finally, at 8:30 p.m. my group entered the room for our midterm. Praise the Lord it wasn't as bad as I feared. All the time I spent worried and in a bad mood was in vain. You think I would have figured that out by now, right? I mean, are things ever as bad as we conjure them up to be? (Php 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.") Anyway, when the midterm was over, I felt a great desire to go to Baptist Student Ministries here on campus. Since living at home, I haven't been going to the bible studies that I was involved in while living on campus. I do miss them and miss my brothers and sisters in Christ that I've met through the groups. It was great to sing praises to the God that had once again mercifully gotten me through the day. It was great to hear the Truth spoken in the same lecture hall that holds secular lessons on a daily basis. It was great to fellowship with some dear friends.
The message on Thursday night was about being an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Isn't it amazing how the Lord works sometimes? Earlier that very same week I had been meditating on the Word and thinking about how poorly I represent Christ in my daily life. I mean, I read my Bible every morning and night, I pray before meals, I don't curse when someone cuts me off on the interstate. Isn't that enough? Let me handle this answer...NO! As I was sitting in that lecture hall Thursday night, the Lord spoke to my heart and it was clear to me. I need to be representing Christ in EVERYTHING I do! That means, well, EVERYTHING!!! The way I drive my car, the music I listen to, the way I treat the cashier at Walmart, the way I talk to my classmates, the way I approach my schoolwork, the way I speak to my friends...I need to be showing the fruits of the Spirit in ALL of these things. (Mt 7:16 "Ye shall know them by their fruits.")
Apparently hearing this once wasn't enough... Fast-forward to Saturday afternoon: I'm visiting Pleasant Grove PBC in Independence, MO. In the afternoon, one of the elders preaches on the subject of....(Can you guess!?!?!)...yep, being ambassadors for Christ! Hello, Lydia, can you get this through your head!? This is for real. The Lord is serious about teaching me this lesson and making me take heed to His Word.
As ambassadors, we are serving a higher authority in a foreign country. Just as we expect the United States Ambassadors to France, England, or Japan to uphold and represent the values we treasure in our country, the Lord expects even more from us. Are we upholding and representing the values Christ treasures? Are we representing love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance? I'm not going to answer for you, but I can adequately evaluate my own performance. And I know that I fall so incredibly short of this expectation. Praise God for His grace and mercy that I am so undeserving of!
I pray that with each new day I might become better at this job. I don't need to put on a badge everyday to let everyone know that I'm an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ. More importantly, I need to put on the armor of God every morning when I wake up. I don't need Mr. Bodyguard to escort me around in this foreign country. I have the greatest Bodyguard by my side, protecting me and guiding my every step.
4 comments:
Amen, sister! Wonderful post. Wonderful reflections. Can't wait to hear more about the sermons... and discuss ways in which we can help keep each other on the right path. I've had some insights in the last few weeks, but have been hesitant to post them. Hope to do so soon. Thanks for providing these good reminders - and support - when I so badly need them. I'm so thankful to God for you and our friendship.
Lyd - As always, thank you for your wonderful encouragements for our lives through your experiences of struggles and triumphs.
It is amazing how easily we forget that all we do reflects upon He whose name we bear. Even though we might like to forget, or hide who we are...we may remove the "badge" to hide ourselves, but the world still sees who we are, and above that, Christ still knows who we are and beholds all we think, say and do.
All the while we often fail to be thankful that as unworthy as we are, Christ has still called us to serve as His representatives on earth...which is far greater than representing the US in any nation.
Would to God that we'd both remember and be thankful that we are the ambassadors of Christ.
Amen Lydia! This verse has been on my heart in recent months too. Sometimes it seems like I take so lightly the God I serve, but to be an AMBASSADOR, representing Him in all things...it is very convicting.
I'll be praying for you.
I hope we all can be encouraging and supportive of each other. We need to pray for one another, that we each might fulfill this role better. And as Chris said, we need to remember to be thankful that God has given us this huge task.
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