In my late-thirties, I took swimming lessons from my pastor. Yes… you read that correctly—my pastor! He also happened to be a tremendous swim coach and did wonders easing my fear of being underwater.
One day, he mentioned a lesson he taught his swim team. Preparation for meets meant increased practices and the early morning starts could be grueling; breeding grounds for grumbling.
My pastor (their coach) had them change the words they used when they talked about swim practices.
Rather than say, “I have to practice,” he told them to say, “I get to practice.”
This lesson I heard in a swimming pool is one I’ve come back to over and over.
I “have” to is an obligation.
I “get” to is a privilege.
With the start of this new series, The ABCs of Life as God’s Beloved, and Romans 12:3, thinking of ourselves with sober judgment, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how privileged I am because of what Jesus has done for me… for us.
And considering all Jesus has done, what do I “get” to do for Him?
I get to be an AMBASSADOR for Christ.
I like the definition of an ambassador in the Cambridge Dictionary: an important official who works in a foreign country representing his or her own country there, and who is officially accepted in this position by that country.
As Christians, we work and live in a foreign country (our earthly home) representing our own country (our eternal home), and we are officially accepted in this position by God because of Christ’s blood shed for us.
An ambassador is a representative or a messenger.
We get to represent Jesus to the lost and hurting on this earth. We get to be a messenger of the Good News; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8, NIV)
Can you see this as a privilege—something you get to do?
Or do you see this as an obligation—something you have to do?
Or maybe you see this as a pressure—something you cannot do?
If being an ambassador for Christ feels scary, a heavy burden you don’t feel qualified to handle, let me put your mind at ease:
The only qualification we need to list on our application for ambassador for Christ is the name of Jesus.
None of us are qualified, there's not one “officially” accepted without Christ. He’s seated at the right hand of the Father speaking on our behalf. And even if we can’t understand why He’d choose us to be His ambassadors… He does.
Just like we don’t need to be perfect to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we don’t need to be perfect to accept His invitation to be His hands and feet, His eyes, His mouth.
We don’t need to know all the right things to say and do, the right ways to act and respond.
Jesus knows, and He’ll guide us.
We only need to be willing.
Lord, I’m so thankful I get to be Your ambassador, to show others and tell others about Jesus and all He has done for me. I know I’m not qualified to be an ambassador on my own, so, thank You, Jesus, for doing the necessary work on my behalf. I want to represent You well and know I can because of the power at work within me. In Jesus’ name, amen.