God’s Ambassadors

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

2 Corinthians 5:19-20

Here’s a pop quiz: Do you know what an American ambassador is? If you guessed that it’s an American who lives and works in another country while representing the United States, you’re right. The president selects ambassadors, but the Senate must approve them. In order to be chosen as ambassadors, people need to be familiar with their country’s politics and laws as well as the politics and laws of the country they will work in. Successful ambassadors will need to be able to follow the manners of another country while representing their home country in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

Paul said that he was an ambassador for Christ and that his home was in heaven. But Paul had never been to heaven. Even though Paul had not been to heaven, when he spoke of his real home, that is where he meant. He told the church in Philippi, “We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Philippians 3:20). Although Paul lived on the earth, God called him to be an ambassador of Jesus and of heaven to people on the earth. You have the same call. You represent Jesus to the people around you.

What does this mean for you as God’s princess? Just like an American ambassador should know the laws of his or her home country, you need to be familiar with the laws and manners of your country of citizenship—heaven. Learn all you can about God and his Word. Try to learn new things from the Bible. Instead of reading Bible storybooks, read your Bible. Start by reading the Epistles, which were letters to people or churches telling them how God wanted them to live. (You’ll find the Epistles in the New Testament in the Bible—Romans through Jude.)

Even though heaven is your true home, God calls you to be his ambassador here on earth. Accept the challenge, and learn to be the best representative of Jesus that you can be.

Research the job of an ambassador. Who were some of the most successful ambassadors? What made them successful? How can you apply those things to your job as an ambassador for Christ?