August 11th, 2023
by Justin Hall
by Justin Hall
As we survey the landscape of the world around us, sometimes we may feel that there are more questions than answers. We may feel as if we are alone in our convictions, abandoned by those that once stood the moral high-ground with us, or surrounded by a vicious enemy that wants to dismantle our faith and rip our families limb from limb. Thoughts of fear, anxiety, and depression can plague the heart and mind and paralyze the hands and feet of Christians called to be Ambassadors.
Living Faithfully in Tough Times requires faithfulness. That seems like an overstatement of the obvious, but it’s worth diving into a little deeper. The Apostle Paul reminds in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” As stewards of God’s gifts in our lives, we are required to be faithful. But as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom here on earth, what does that look like?
Being an ambassador of God’s kingdom is a full-time job. More accurately, it’s a calling on our lives to walk in the footsteps of Christ and share the Good News of our Savior Jesus. An ambassador for Christ does not look at their role as a “side-hustle” or “part-time gig.” A life of faithful service to the King of Heaven requires that we allow the gospel that changes lives to permeate our entire being and existence so that it’s apparent to all with whom we come in contact that we are citizens of that Kingdom. I’m reminded of the little boy who was afraid to “trust Jesus as his savior.” His daddy looked at him and asked why. The young man looked at his father and said, “You’ve told me how big God is. If I ask Him to come inside of me, He’s going to stick out all over the place.” YES!
Faithfulness to our calling as ambassadors is a lifetime appointment that never hides or expires.
In 2020, we were introduced to a ridiculous notion. During Covid, we were told that certain people shouldn’t go to work because they were deemed “non-essential personnel.” How crazy is that? And demeaning!? As faithful ambassadors of our home in Heaven, our role is critical. The job we have is vital! To proclaim and live out THE Gospel. Without the gospel, societies will crumble. Without the gospel, families are destroyed. Without the gospel, a soul will spend a Christless eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire.
If we ever doubt the magnitude of our faithful service as ambassadors, we need look no further than those in our families, towns, and state to see that people need the Lord. Our role as ambassadors is not only essential, it is central and bedrock to the success of society and the eternal state of every person’s soul.
“If at first you don’t succeed, quit and try something else.” – That seems to be the tune most of the world around us is singing. Whether you look at marriage, job retention, college drop-out rates, and a myriad of other societal norms, people are quitting. Faithfulness requires perseverance. Our role as ambassadors in this foreign land is not a one-off experience where we try it and if we don’t like it return it. Absolutely not! Faithful service required daily surrender of our will to God’s. in his exaltation of Christ, John the Baptizer says some of the most profound words in scripture, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) It is imperative that we renew our commitment to living for Jesus Christ every single day.
Tough times require faithful ambassadors. As servants of our King, we won’t have all the answers to the political and natural upheaval in this world. We should, however, be the chain to the anchor in the storm. Not the anchor. No, that’s Christ. We are to continually connect people to the only source of hope, peace, grace, and truth they will ever know. A society adrift must be secured to a firm anchor. Faithful ambassadors of God’s Kingdom are the givers of the steady and firm message of the gospel that the world so urgently needs to receive.
In the next and final article, we will look at practical ways that we can “Live faithfully in Tough Times.”
-Adapted from a devotion given by Professor Jeffery Brauch, Regent University School of Law
Living Faithfully in Tough Times requires faithfulness. That seems like an overstatement of the obvious, but it’s worth diving into a little deeper. The Apostle Paul reminds in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” As stewards of God’s gifts in our lives, we are required to be faithful. But as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom here on earth, what does that look like?
Being an ambassador of God’s kingdom is a full-time job. More accurately, it’s a calling on our lives to walk in the footsteps of Christ and share the Good News of our Savior Jesus. An ambassador for Christ does not look at their role as a “side-hustle” or “part-time gig.” A life of faithful service to the King of Heaven requires that we allow the gospel that changes lives to permeate our entire being and existence so that it’s apparent to all with whom we come in contact that we are citizens of that Kingdom. I’m reminded of the little boy who was afraid to “trust Jesus as his savior.” His daddy looked at him and asked why. The young man looked at his father and said, “You’ve told me how big God is. If I ask Him to come inside of me, He’s going to stick out all over the place.” YES!
Faithfulness to our calling as ambassadors is a lifetime appointment that never hides or expires.
In 2020, we were introduced to a ridiculous notion. During Covid, we were told that certain people shouldn’t go to work because they were deemed “non-essential personnel.” How crazy is that? And demeaning!? As faithful ambassadors of our home in Heaven, our role is critical. The job we have is vital! To proclaim and live out THE Gospel. Without the gospel, societies will crumble. Without the gospel, families are destroyed. Without the gospel, a soul will spend a Christless eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire.
If we ever doubt the magnitude of our faithful service as ambassadors, we need look no further than those in our families, towns, and state to see that people need the Lord. Our role as ambassadors is not only essential, it is central and bedrock to the success of society and the eternal state of every person’s soul.
“If at first you don’t succeed, quit and try something else.” – That seems to be the tune most of the world around us is singing. Whether you look at marriage, job retention, college drop-out rates, and a myriad of other societal norms, people are quitting. Faithfulness requires perseverance. Our role as ambassadors in this foreign land is not a one-off experience where we try it and if we don’t like it return it. Absolutely not! Faithful service required daily surrender of our will to God’s. in his exaltation of Christ, John the Baptizer says some of the most profound words in scripture, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) It is imperative that we renew our commitment to living for Jesus Christ every single day.
Tough times require faithful ambassadors. As servants of our King, we won’t have all the answers to the political and natural upheaval in this world. We should, however, be the chain to the anchor in the storm. Not the anchor. No, that’s Christ. We are to continually connect people to the only source of hope, peace, grace, and truth they will ever know. A society adrift must be secured to a firm anchor. Faithful ambassadors of God’s Kingdom are the givers of the steady and firm message of the gospel that the world so urgently needs to receive.
In the next and final article, we will look at practical ways that we can “Live faithfully in Tough Times.”
-Adapted from a devotion given by Professor Jeffery Brauch, Regent University School of Law
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