Ambassadors

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  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. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,      

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2 ESV)

We are ambassadors... we represent the King. If you know Jesus, you do too. I've been thinking on that this morning, and was helped by a book to think on three areas of focus on being an ambassador.

As an ambassador, I will represent:
1. The message of the King. An ambassador is always asking, "What does my Lord want to communicate to this person in this situation? What truths should shape my response? What goals should motivate me?
2. The methods of the King. Here I will ask, "How does the Lord bring change in me and in others? How did he respond to people here on earth? What responses are consistent with the goals and resources of the gospel?"
3. The character of the King. Here I ask, "Why does the Lord do what he does? How can I faithfully represent the character that motivates his redemptive work? What motives in my own heart could hinder what the Lord wants to do in this situation?"

It's a sobering thing to be an ambassador. We represent bodily, the currently veiled King. The King is too valuable to do this poorly. Lord, please help me do this well.

Kim