The Ministry of the Believer

“All is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).  
 
We are ambassadors for Christ. We are His representatives, His diplomats. We’re the ones who speak on His behalf because He died on our behalf. But what exactly does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?  

Even though we have a personal relationship with God as His sons and daughters, we can’t sit back and let Dad do all the work. After all, we are His hands and feet.  

Being God’s ambassador doesn’t mean you’re making a business deal with God. You’re His family, but we are also given duties and responsibilities in the kingdom to help nurture our ministries. You might think that you can’t possibly have a ministry, but God says that you do.  

We are an open book to the world. What we proclaim, what we stand for, and even what we struggle to overcome—the world keeps a record of it. Your ministry is your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your teammates, your friends, and even your enemies. It’s in how you help your kids with their homework and how you show love to your husband or wife. It’s in how you take meals to those in need and how you show mercy towards someone who’s shown you no mercy. Your ministry is your mission.  

As you exercise your spiritual gifts, you are serving as Christ’s ambassador. Every time you choose to love instead of hate, choose patience when you’re tired of waiting, choose joy during disappointment, you are representing your Father well. When others see your lifestyle, they see that you’ve got something different in your life, and they want a taste of it. They get hungry for what you’re eating.  

This is how you lead your family, raise your kids, and reach the heart of a stranger who notices your kindness when they’re in the fight of their life. Your ministry is all around you, it’s just a matter of choosing to represent the Lord well in whatever walk of life you’re in.