August 4th, 2023
by Justin Hall
by Justin Hall
Living Faithfully in Tough Times is difficult. Understanding that our Identity is found as citizens of the God’s Kingdom helps, but there is still a question that remains. “What is our role supposed to be while we are still here on earth?” Many have attempted to answer this question in several ways over the millennia since the ascension of Christ and others have proven different responses to the question in the way they have chosen to live.
Tough times reveal what is inside a person. Just as a bump against the table spills the drinking glass showing everyone what the glass was holding, the earth-shaking reverberations of cultural shift show us who people are and what they believe. Knowing our identity is found in Christ is only part of the journey of living faithfully in tough times. Once we know who we are, we must answer what we are doing here. Let’s look at 3 responses to the question.
Some would answer the question in the role of a Tourist. They have been left here by God to enjoy the earth and take in the sights. One who handles difficult times as a tourist may often wonder why their time isn’t going according to plan or why there always seems to be so much trouble. Why is this? Because the tourist is simply focused on pleasure and entertainment. A tourist will often soak in the freedom as a follower of Christ. As followers of Christ and citizens of Heaven, are we called to live as tourists in tough times?
Others would consider themselves Preppers in tough times. Their job is to stock up for impending doom. Instead of twinkies, potable water, and mustard, preppers focus on ensuring that they themselves, their family, and friends all have provisions and are protected. Preppers can look like spiritual hoarders. This may not be their intent, but because we are living in tough times or because they are getting ready for the next terrible thing, preppers tend to withdraw from the culture and disconnect from their relationships.
To understand what we are here for because of who we are, we should look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:17-20.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 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.
Paul is telling first century Christians that in this foreign land and in the middle of tough times, that they are to live faithfully as ministers of reconciliation. The word ¬reconcile¬ means the “restoration of a relationship.” Our role hasn’t changed today. We are to walk through tough times as people focused on helping people restore the broken relationship with our Heavenly Father. As a people who find our citizenship in Heaven, we are to be “ambassadors” (v.20) here on this earth. An Ambassador is one who represents the kingdom or country to which they belong in a foreign land. Our role as Christ followers is to walk through tough times showing a lost and blind world the light and love of our Savior Jesus.
The brokenness of this sin-cursed world should be even more reason to continually point the people around us to Christ. Can we enjoy the beauty and splendor of the world God has so masterfully created?
Yes!
Should we take care of our family and make sure that they know Christ? Yes! Can we do both of those things and still share Jesus with broken people? Absolutely! It’s all a matter of focus. When our focus is self-serving, we will drift toward the Tourist and Prepper mindset. When our eyes are set on Christ and the gospel, we will serve Him faithfully as Ambassadors in good times and in bad.
In the next article on “Living faithfully in Tough Times” we will go deeper in what it means to be an Ambassador of God’s Kingdom.
-Adapted from a devotion given by Professor Jeffery Brauch, Regent University School of Law
Tough times reveal what is inside a person. Just as a bump against the table spills the drinking glass showing everyone what the glass was holding, the earth-shaking reverberations of cultural shift show us who people are and what they believe. Knowing our identity is found in Christ is only part of the journey of living faithfully in tough times. Once we know who we are, we must answer what we are doing here. Let’s look at 3 responses to the question.
Some would answer the question in the role of a Tourist. They have been left here by God to enjoy the earth and take in the sights. One who handles difficult times as a tourist may often wonder why their time isn’t going according to plan or why there always seems to be so much trouble. Why is this? Because the tourist is simply focused on pleasure and entertainment. A tourist will often soak in the freedom as a follower of Christ. As followers of Christ and citizens of Heaven, are we called to live as tourists in tough times?
Others would consider themselves Preppers in tough times. Their job is to stock up for impending doom. Instead of twinkies, potable water, and mustard, preppers focus on ensuring that they themselves, their family, and friends all have provisions and are protected. Preppers can look like spiritual hoarders. This may not be their intent, but because we are living in tough times or because they are getting ready for the next terrible thing, preppers tend to withdraw from the culture and disconnect from their relationships.
To understand what we are here for because of who we are, we should look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:17-20.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 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.
Paul is telling first century Christians that in this foreign land and in the middle of tough times, that they are to live faithfully as ministers of reconciliation. The word ¬reconcile¬ means the “restoration of a relationship.” Our role hasn’t changed today. We are to walk through tough times as people focused on helping people restore the broken relationship with our Heavenly Father. As a people who find our citizenship in Heaven, we are to be “ambassadors” (v.20) here on this earth. An Ambassador is one who represents the kingdom or country to which they belong in a foreign land. Our role as Christ followers is to walk through tough times showing a lost and blind world the light and love of our Savior Jesus.
The brokenness of this sin-cursed world should be even more reason to continually point the people around us to Christ. Can we enjoy the beauty and splendor of the world God has so masterfully created?
Yes!
Should we take care of our family and make sure that they know Christ? Yes! Can we do both of those things and still share Jesus with broken people? Absolutely! It’s all a matter of focus. When our focus is self-serving, we will drift toward the Tourist and Prepper mindset. When our eyes are set on Christ and the gospel, we will serve Him faithfully as Ambassadors in good times and in bad.
In the next article on “Living faithfully in Tough Times” we will go deeper in what it means to be an Ambassador of God’s Kingdom.
-Adapted from a devotion given by Professor Jeffery Brauch, Regent University School of Law
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