2 Corinthians 5:20 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
PRAYER PROMPT FOR MONDAY: PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND OTHERS CLOSE TO YOU
When I was a teenager it was a very popular dream among the girls to become a model. When a group of girls got together, we would peruse fashion magazines. We would try to dress like the girls in the photos, do our hair the same way, even pose to see how we might look in a photo. Of course, it was only a dream. It was very rare in our area of the state that there would be any modeling opportunities, at least legitimate ones anyway. The concept of modeling just made us feel special, important and noticed.
In reality we ARE models no matter where we are or what we are doing. It is a rare individual that has no one watching them at some point in their lives. Ever wear a new outfit and feel like every eye is on you? Ever trip on a step and feel like every has seen that too? What you do (or say) right after you trip is what you are modeling. If your young children are with you, they are making a mental record of how you responded to that trip. You might even see your response repeated by them, the next time they trip.
The scripture for today says we are Christ’s ambassadors. When we have an ambassador in another country they are supposed to be ‘modeling’ the behaviors and customs of the US to that nation. When we have an ambassador from another country here, we can expect to become familiar with the customs and culture of their country, as they ‘model’ them for us.
When believers were first called ‘Christians’ in the book of Acts, in the city of Antioch, people were calling them, ‘little Christ.’ I am not sure they meant that comment in a completely complementary way! Yet it stuck, and was very accurate in it’s description.
We as believers are modeling Christ to the world in everything we do, and say. Think for a minute about the time you heard something from the mouth of someone you just did not expect to hear. Maybe it was not foul, or vulgar, just a little angry or judgmental. You probably made a mental note about them. When a person who believes you to be a ‘step above’ in your Christian behavior, then hears a nasty comment about someone else, well, you are modeling. As models for Jesus, He is a designer that is head and shoulders above anyone else in this world. We need to always be aware that we are modeling behavior to the world that they will be judging Jesus by. When a runway model wears a famous designer’s clothing line, it is a big responsibility to make them look perfect. When we are claiming to be Christian, it is a big responsibility to make Him look perfect!
How are you doing with that?
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