Bold In The Small Things

This past week I began reading in the book of Daniel during my daily devotion time. I try to swap back and forth between Old and New Testament books of the bible. My Sunday school class has been studying in Daniel for a few weeks and I wanted to get a more in-depth picture of it. When God spoke to me while reading Daniel Chapter 3, I was amazed.

I have heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego many times. I remember hearing this story as a kid in church and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the Veggie Tales version of it a few times as well.  Honestly, when I sat down to read Daniel 3, I was expecting to hear a familiar story and be reminded of familiar themes. But God had a different plan. God wanted me to see it with fresh eyes and in a new way.

After reading the chapter, I realized that believers in my culture are not threatened with a furnace. We get to openly worship and pray to our God day in and day out.  I won’t deny that there are some public restrictions to our expression of faith but overall, we get to worship freely and openly. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not have this luxury. They were literally being persecuted because of their commitment to the one true God.

You see, its easy for us to make a stand for Christ in public. Unlike these 3 men, our lives are not threatened because of our beliefs. We can boldly tell the world who we worship and how amazing it is to know Him. But what about in the small things? What about when no one is looking? Do we make a stand then? Are we just as keen to stand on our beliefs when no one has any idea what is going on? Its in these moments that we are threatened. Our pleasure is threatened. Our ability to be in control is threatened and its in these moments where being bold is difficult.

You know the moments I’m talking about. It’s when you’re typing the latest piece of gossip into a text message to your friends. It’s when you’re deciding what movies to rent, what songs to buy, and what websites to visit. Sometimes its as simple as deciding between more sleep and spending time with our Lord. It’s in these moments where we are truly tested. It’s these situations that call for us to be bold. And when we are bold, there will be no applause. No one will see or write a story about it. But we can be sure of one thing; we are bringing honor and glory to Jesus. We are letting Him know that His sacrifice means something to us and we are committed to following Him even when no one is looking.  Ask God for the strength to be bold today, even in the small things.

Ambassadors For...

During the first 2 years of her college career, Emilee (my amazing wife) worked as a student ambassador for the school. It was her job to show prospective students around campus and encourage them to choose to enroll. She was a representative and she represented our school quite well. There was a uniform involved and certain time commitments as well. In short, everyone knew Emilee was an ambassador because she looked and played the part well. Her brains and beauty made the school look good and that's why she was selected to represent them.

As as young boy, I was very involved with the Royal Ambassador program at my church. Each Sunday night we would meet and discover what it meant to represent Jesus by living on mission. But it wasn't until I was much older that I realized that everyone is an ambassador for something. Just like Emilee was an ambassador for our school and I was encouraged to represent Jesus to my friends, we all choose to stand behind something. Everyday, we make the choice of who or what we are gong to represent as we go about our lives. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul tells the believers in Corinth that their lives should be committed to pointing others to Christ:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God."

I came across this verse the other day and read it in a new light. I was amazed at the fact that God chooses to use us as His ambassadors. Paul says that we are to "plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God." If you are a believer, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. You are His representation in the world. I am blown away that God would not only redeem us, but also let us play a part in His mission. As Christ followers, when we wake up everyday we should remind ourselves that we are God's representatives in the world. 

So let's represent Him well. Let's love one another in ways that don't make sense to the world around us. Let's make it a point to share the gospel. Instead of representing the latest trend or selfish desires, let's be ambassadors for Christ. If you are like me, maybe you need to take a moment and ask yourself "What or who am I an ambassador for?" My hope is that we can call grasp the fact that we have a purpose, and that purpose is to show Christ to the world in everything we do. Let's live our lives on purpose today. We are ambassadors for Christ.