Sharing the message of hope and salvation can be very daunting to some people, but Jesus has called us all to go into the whole world and spread His good news Mark 16:15.
Paul mentions in 2 Cor 5:20, “We are therefore ambassadors of Christ.” Spreading the gospel can happen in many places, but it’s always the same goal – to magnify Christ.
These are three areas we can get better at being ambassadors for Christ.
- At work
- At home
- Abroad (as a missionary)
At work
At work, let your light shine. Shining your light may mean you handle situations with your colleagues differently. For example, when there’s a meeting and your boss brings up a new project or a new policy or change, be quick to follow your leader in humility without complaining. When other colleagues are frustrated with the additional work, they may resist the change. Perhaps they have good reasons like, it’s too much work and everyone is already in the middle of another project. But let your light shine by honoring your boss and accepting the change or the added work without disrespectful complaining.
When you have something to say, say it gently and considerately. Let your speech and conduct display the new life brought about by the resurrection of your savior, Jesus.
Letting your light shine in your speech may not be directly spreading the gospel, but someone might notice, and perhaps ask you why you handle things differently. That’s the kind of opportunity God often provides for Christians to share the gospel.
My husband and I work together at the same school in China. Sometimes during meetings, colleagues bring up complaints about our boss’s plans. As a Christian, I try to honor her.
One of my other supervisors (let’s call her Jane) noticed my behavior and found me in my classroom one afternoon while I was grading to ask if I was Jesus. Jane’s English is not very good, so I know she didn’t mean to ask if I was the son of God. Jane was asking if I was a follower of Jesus Christ. So, I told her I wasn’t Jesus but His follower. It was an opportunity God created for me to share the gospel with her. She mentioned that her mom loved Jesus, and her habits resembled mine. Jane also added that Jesus was in her heart. I knew she meant she knew Jesus was a good person. She said she would start going to church again.
When the Holy Spirit opens a door for you to share the gospel, walk through it.
At home
If you’re married, there are so many opportunities for you to show God’s love to your spouse and children, especially if they’re unbelievers. How you communicate with them daily reveals the character of your God. Your children will grow up knowing a parent who produces the fruits of the Spirit.
If your spouse is a believer, shining your light brightly can grow your partner’s faith in God.
If you’re single with roommates who are not believers, they get to watch your life. What you say, do, watch, or listen to impacts how they judge Christians. If you keep running the race of living a Holy life with the help of the Holy Spirit, an opportunity may appear for you to fulfill your calling as Christ’s ambassador. In contrast, there are times you need to make the first move, perhaps by inviting them to church or a picnic where your Christian friends will be.
If you’re single living alone, be careful with what you see, hear, or do in secret. What you engage in secret will affect how you spread the gospel publicly. If you engage in sinful behavior, you might not feel worthy of sharing the gospel with someone else.
But, if you’re at home by yourself, spend your time on things that are; “pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy,” as Paul says to do in Phil 4:8. That way, when you share the gospel, you won’t feel guilty about what you did the previous night.
Remember, you are still an ambassador of Christ in private and public.
Abroad (on the mission field)
Being an ambassador in a foreign country can be challenging, and I know it because I’m in China. Language can be a barrier. How do you share the gospel with someone who doesn’t understand you? We can talk about that topic later.
I would say this to all those who have trusted God to provide and protect them and their families in a different country. Thank you for taking the call to literally go to the ends of the earth to share the gospel. Keep doing what you are doing. I pray that you may continue to be a bold ambassador and seize opportunities as they come.
Finally, we should see wherever God has placed us as a mission field. So, whether you are sharing the gospel at work, home, or abroad, you are an ambassador of Christ, meaning that your task is to seize opportunities as they come to share God’s love and goodness so that others can put their trust in Him every day.
As Christ’s ambassadors, Paul says to you and I in 2 Cor 5:15, “we should no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and was raised again.” Jesus is calling you as His ambassador to share His good news. Answer His call so others can fall in love with this Creator you have come to adore so much.
If you hear His call today, don’t harden your heart. Answer and serve Him until you see Him face to face.
Still running the race,
Fiona