Focused On The Goal

Most business owners and leaders are in their positions due largely to their personality type. We are most often driven and ambitious to some degree. We like to push the envelope and often want to try out new ideas. We are not usually afraid of bucking the trend at least a little.

When we are applying these qualities to integrating our Christian faith into our businesses, we have the advantage. Often, the Christian walk is a difficult one, especially when done in the business world. So, our strong personalities serve us well and keep us focused on the goal.

Not The Right Path?

But what if we are not on the right path? What if we started on the right path, but God wants us to stop or change directions? Because of our ability to focus and eliminate distractions, we can miss Him speaking to us. In that case, we need a wake-up call.

A Friendly Introduction

Roughly twelve years ago, a friend introduced me to a preacher from New York named Julio. At the time, it had been a long, hard year since I had turned our business upside down as a result of God’s leading.

The path was the most difficult I had ever experienced and I was struggling. At the same time, I had a core-level commitment to continue regardless of the circumstances. I was laser-focused on seeing it through. I had no doubt I was on the right path.

However, I was so focused that I was not willing to listen to outside input. I knew what God had called me to do and I was going to do it. Truly, I was not concerned with the consequences as long as I accomplished what God wanted. While this can be a good mindset in some ways, in other ways it can be dangerous.

My Wake Up Call!

Enter Pastor Julio. He and I talked (more me, less him) for more than an hour about all that had transpired over the past 12 months. He listened intently and probed lightly to better understand what I was saying. At the end of the one-sided conversation, he asked if he could make an observation. I told him I was all ears!

He proceeded to tell me that he truly believed God had called me to make the changes I made. He agreed with my determination to persevere despite the tough conditions. But then he told me that he thought I was missing a key ingredient. He told me that it appeared I had…

To Be Continued…Tuesday!

Have you been in a similar situation?

What do you think Pastor Julio told me?

Based on what you have read so far, would you have any advice for me?

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I regularly get the privilege of welcoming new employees into our company. As part of our orientation and new hire training process, I go over our company history (three generations!) along with a deep dive of our company’s mission, vision, and core values statements.

In an effort to help you think through your own mission, vision, and values, I wanted to share these components with you. I do not expect anyone to take a look at our mission, vision, and core values and immediately decide to copy them because they are so good! However, I do think someone reading this may get some ideas for their own company statements.

Because I have already covered in previous posts the benefits to creating these statements of mission, vision, and core values, I will not review those here. Instead, I will simply communicate and explain these statements for our company.

Mission Statement

The Mike Patton Auto Family seeks to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community.

We believe that God owns this business and we are simply His stewards of it for a season. We want to make sure that all we do in and through the business honors Him. By the same token, we do not want to do anything that will dishonor Him.

We believe that we are here, and that this business exists, for the purpose of impacting people for eternity. We believe that this is our ultimate goal.

Vision Statement

Moving people.

This statement is short, but is full of meaning. First, it obviously references transportation, reflecting the automobile business we have chosen. But it goes much deeper than that.

We want to take employees, customers, and those in the community and we want to “move” them from their current position (or circumstances) to a better place. Regardless of where they are in life (financially, professionally, emotionally, etc.), we want to move them to an improved situation. Regardless of how they interact with us, we want them to be better off having done so.

If you are interested in following my process to create your own mission, vision, and core values, then check out my new ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist?

Now Available on Amazon!!!

Click Here For Ebook!

Core Values

Integrity
We do what is right even when no one is watching.

This core value comes first for a reason. Without integrity, we will not have the impact that we desire. We take this very seriously. We will extend grace when it comes to mistakes and errors, giving people a chance to grow and improve in their jobs. We are not as tolerant of violations in this area. We need to know we can trust our coworkers without question.

Excellence
We are constantly redefining our goals, expectations, boundaries, and potential.

Our team’s talents and performance vary from person to person. That is normal. We simply believe that regardless of your talent or performance today, you should want to be better tomorrow. We want teammates that are constantly striving to learn and grow, improving every day!

Employee Development
We strive to create an atmosphere that inspires and enables people to reach their full potential.

As a company, we want to meet our employees where they are as they strive for excellence. Our goal is to provide the resources and inspiration required to “move” them forward on their path. Sometimes this means they advance within our company and sometimes it means they move on to other opportunities. Either way, we want to help!

Spiritual Growth
We provide the opportunity for all to know God and make Him known.

No one who works in our company is required to believe what we believe. However, we make it clear early on that God is the owner of our company. Therefore, all that we do centers around Him. This includes many efforts to sow seeds of faith all around through various efforts. We will not force anyone to believe, but they will certainly have opportunities to hear.

Community Impact
We use our talents and treasures to make a difference in those who need it most.

We believe we are part of the community in which we work and therefore have the responsibility to give back to that community. Whether through benevolence or sponsorships, community service or fundraising, we are going to take the time and energy to give to those who need it.

Your Mission, Vision, And Core Values

Hopefully, you have found this helpful as an example of a good set of mission, vision, and core values statements. If you only gleaned one idea from this, I consider it worthwhile.

If you want to take this further and develop your company’s own set of mission, vision, and values statements, you should check out my ebook – Why Does Your Business Exist? A Christian Business Guide to Creating your Mission, Vision, and Values Statements.

It is now available on Amazon! I believe you will find this ebook to be a solid, step-by-step guide to help your team craft meaningful mission, vision, and values statements to use in guiding your company.

Is your company engaged in a strong mission, vision, and core values?

If not, are you ready to revisit this with your leadership?

Do you see the benefits from having a strong mission, vision, and core values?

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Lots To Read

Let me explain. When I started this blog, I decided I was not going to write about theories or ideas. I had read a lot on the subject of Christian business by authors that I am sure were very well educated. The problem I saw was that some had never actually been in business themselves.

While I understood their theories and ideas (even agreed with most of them), I had a problem knowing they had never actually had to face the challenge of implementing those ideas. They had not faced the “whirlwind” of business that keeps many of us from being as effective as we want to be.

Application, Not Theory

As a result, I wanted to write from the perspective of one who was actually IN the business world and trying to implement the ideas I promoted. I wanted to write about application, not theory.

So that is what I did. I committed to only writing about processes we were actually trying in our business. In fact, I found the writing of the blog posts actually served as a form of accountability, keeping me focused on the application of ideas that otherwise may have faded over time.

Lapse In Effectiveness

Fast forward a few years and I have started to look around again. What I have found is not exciting to me. What I have realized is that some of the very processes and ideas that were once carried out regularly are no longer being performed. Either that or they are not as effective as they have been in the past.

If it was only about me, that may not be such a big deal.

People Depending On Application

However, I have come to find that there are many people depending on me to focus on the application of these ideas. Our entire employee base (whether they realize it or not) is relying on me to ensure the application of these processes. Their family members are depending on this. Our customers are also expecting this.

You, as a reader of this blog, trust that we are actually doing what I say we are doing. If I was promoting this blog as one of theory (not application), then you likely would not care as much. However, since I am saying the opposite, you should expect that the application of these ideas is in place.

Dangerous Clouds

So, the danger I described before, is that over time it is easy to get lost in the clouds when writing a blog. It is easy to get caught up in the coolest new idea that comes along rather than ensuring the application of that idea first.

I want to give an example from Scripture that illustrates this. While the analogy is not an exact fit, I think you will get the idea.

After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11

Disciples In The Clouds

In this passage, Jesus has just given instructions to the disciples and has ascended into the clouds, going to heaven. The disciples have things to do and instructions to follow, but what do they do? They stand there gazing into the empty sky.

What they were thinking about, no one really knows. They were probably reflecting on how cool it was to see Jesus ascend. They likely were thinking about what this ascension meant to their future. It is even possible they were wishing they could follow Him right then and skip all they had in front of them to do.

Thoughts Interrupted

Whatever the case, the two men in white clothes came along and interrupted their thoughts. Effectively, these two men told them to get their heads out of the clouds and get back to the tasks they had at hand!

I laugh every time I read this passage! I can imagine being in the disciples’ shoes and wanting to stand there gazing. I can imagine wishing to be following Jesus right then. In fact, to be honest, there are days I DO feel that way!

We Have Work To Do!

The problem is that we have work to do. Theories are good and we certainly can use new ideas in order to increase our ministry effectiveness. At the same time, the work must continue! We cannot get lost in the theory and forget the application!

It is not enough to say we added a step to our sales process at one time. We must make sure that step remains a part of the sales process for as long as it is effective. Allowing it to fade out while we pursue new ideas…this is a problem!

In the same way, applying something once that we have learned in our study of the Bible is not enough. We must maintain that application over time. It is not enough to say we studied or fasted once. We must keep up these disciplines.

Self-Assessment

I encourage you to do a self-assessment. Where do you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 when it comes to application? Are you guilty of too much theory and not enough work? Have you allowed your gaze to shift to the clouds?

As I mentioned, I have noticed some cloud-gazing myself lately. As a result, I am committing to an increased focus on application. I hope you will do the same!

Where have you allowed application to lapse?

Are you ready to jump back in and get to work?

Where are you going to start?

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Building Sand Castles

What usually happens is that the kids get started in the smooth, hard-packed sand when the tide is out. I guess this offers a better foundation and is easier to build upon.

They have their buckets and shovels and make frequent trips back and forth to the water. As they form walls and parapets and moats, they seem like they are in another world. In fact, the kids can stay like this for hours if allowed. Sometimes they will even try to miss a meal to keep going!

The problem comes later when the tide starts coming in. Initially, the water starts attacking the base of the castle, eroding the walls. Eventually, the waves overrun the walls and fill the moats with such force that the whole castle is destroyed. Within hours, there is no sign a castle ever existed there.

Not As Exciting For Parents?

My question – why is this not as exciting for parents as it is for the kids? Sure, there is an element of excitement for a parent as they see their kids having fun. But why don’t parents do this without their kids? Why aren’t the kids begging to go back to the room while the parents continue to work on the sand castle?

I am convinced that parents understand how meaningless it is to work hard to create something that will certainly be destroyed within hours. I believe, whether they consciously consider it or not, they know it is meaningless because they will have nothing to show for their work the next day.

Does this make sense? Do you think this same idea may also apply to our work in the marketplace? Have you ever stopped to think about it?

Work Is Meaningless

The author of Ecclesiastes (likely Solomon) certainly thought about this. In fact, he sought all there was in life – all pleasures, wealth, work, etc., and found that all of it was meaningless.

“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”
Ecclesiastes 12:8

Many of us have found the same to be true about our work at first. For some, revelation that there was more to it came at an early age. For others, this revelation came later. For many, they cannot see it.

The truth is that (according to Scripture) your work, in and of itself, is meaningless. All that you work for and achieve in this world will burn one day and there will be no reward for it in eternity. Whether you like it or not, this is what the Bible says. Check out 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 to see the basis for this.

There Is Hope!

Fortunately, there is another verse in Ecclesiastes that gives us hope. If this is true, then we can hope to bring more people to the realization that all work is not meaningless.

He has also set eternity in the human heart;
Ecclesiastes 3:11

God put eternity in our hearts. The way I understand this, there is an eternal hole or void in our hearts. We have it from birth and nothing can fill it but Him. No work, wealth, pleasure or achievement can fill that void, no matter how hard we try.

Eternal Perspective

However, once we fill that void through a salvation experience with Jesus, all sorts of opportunities open up to us. Suddenly, our work CAN matter! It is no longer meaningless if we approach it from an eternal perspective!

We first need to realize that our work, to the extent that it points others to God and a relationship with His Son, can have eternal meaning AND create eternal reward! Once we realize this, we can begin working through our jobs and businesses to have impact on people for eternity.

Share With Others!

Then, as we gain more clarity on how this works, we need to begin sharing this realization with others. Can you imagine what it could look like if all the Christians you know in the business world began doing their jobs and running their businesses with an eternal purpose?

I can tell you that this very idea is what drives me to keep writing this blog. It is the hope that others can come to the realization that their work does not have to be meaningless. It can have a dramatic eternal impact if they will simply turn it over to God and follow His lead!

Have you come to this realization regarding meaningless work?

If so, who have you shared it with?

If not, I encourage you to pray about it! Will you?

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Billy Graham Is Special

The more I thought about that, the more I realized that folks like Billy Graham are special. It is not that they are so much more gifted or even holier than many of us. The truth is that God placed Billy Graham in a specific time and place with a specific set of talents and resources. Billy Graham added his own submission and commitment to God and the results speak for themselves.

We Are Special, Too!

So, if that is the case, what does that mean for us? Well, as Christian business owners, God has done the same thing for us. We are in a specific time and place with a specific set of talents and resources.

Granted, we are not in the same position as Billy Graham…at least not yet! So what do we do? Do we sit back and wait for national fame before we start preaching like he did? Or, maybe, we could go ahead and start preaching right now. Right where we are. In our own way.

So that you and I are on the same page, I though I would remind you of the quote from St. Francis of Assisi…

Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.

How To Preach Like Billy Graham

In light of that, I came up with a list of 10 ways we can all preach just like Billy Graham. Okay, maybe not JUST like he did, but close.

1. Give credit and take blame. – When good things are achieved by your team, give them the credit for it. When bad things happen, take the blame.

2. Show humility when unexpected. – You have just made a gutsy call and it paid off. Everyone knows you beat the odds. Don’t crow about it. Accept the congratulations and point to God as the true source of the idea.

3. Exercise grace when others would not. – You were wronged in the past and the violator is now in a position of need. Give to them and show the same grace you have been given.

4. Tell the truth even when it hurts. – Telling the truth, in this case, means you will face a loss. Regardless of the size of the loss, remember that God has your back if you will honor Him.

5. Prove your values are more important than money. – If you only maintain your silence about the minor defect, the customer will never know and the sale will go through. Make the decision to come clean and people will notice.

6. Forgive your debtors. – One of your employees makes a poor decision in a time of severe need and steals from you. You most likely have to terminate them. Is it really necessary to carry the grudge around with you from now on? Let it go and let it be known.

7. Put others first in everything. – Serve others at company meal times. Take the back seat in the car when carpooling to a meeting. Pass the last coconut-fried shrimp appetizer to someone else at the dinner celebration…coconut is not that good anyway!

8. Show that Love = Time. – Taking the time to ask and hear about an employee’s sick family member will mean the world to them. In many cases, you are the most important person they know. Giving of your time to them will show them you love them.

9. Do what you say will do. – You made a commitment to do something, but conditions changed at the last minute. Now the commitment is not as easy to fulfill. Do it anyway. No one will expect it, but neither will they forget it.

10. Trust God during tough times. – The difference between Christians and everyone else is not whether we go through tough times or not. The difference is in how we handle those times. Show them you trust your God to carry you. They will want to know how to get the same peace.

I am sure you can come up with other items to place on this list. If so, tell me about them in the comments section. I would love to hear your thoughts and examples.

What would you add to the list?

Can you give examples of something you have done or seen?

Which of these do you struggle with the most?

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Sermon On The Mount

Well, we are not going to focus on these people today, but I do want to focus on the idea of standing out from the crowd. In my last post, I talked about this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may show yourselves to be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
Matthew 5:43-47

We Are To Stand Out

I went on to point out how this passage leads us to the conclusion that Jesus wants to see us stand out from the crowd. He does not want us to look like everyone else when it comes to our actions.

Not only is this true in our personal lives, but it should also be true in our businesses and careers. If we are Christians in the marketplace, then our business actions and decisions should not blend in with those of the world around us. We should stand out from the crowd in the way we operate our businesses and perform our jobs.

Why Stand Out?

The question we did not cover in that last post is WHY He wants us to do this.

Unlike our friends that dress differently for the attention or spotlight, we have another purpose for standing out in this world. So that you are not simply taking my word on this, I want to refer to some Scriptures to make my case.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

Point Others To God

Folks, our purpose for being here on earth, for even existing, is to point others toward God. We are here for the purpose of bringing Him glory. This can happen through our behaviors, actions, and decisions. We can bring Him glory with our relationships and with our careers.

We CANNOT bring Him glory if we blend in and look like the world around us. We must stand out, causing others to see us and wonder why it is we stand out. When this happens, they will likely ask us why we are behaving like this. When they do, it is our opportunity to give them the reason for the hope we have!

Requires Faith

Keep in mind, I understand that what I am proposing is not easy. It requires faith that God will take care of us and that we will not suffer harm as a result.

There will be times that the choice between blending in and standing out can be scary. The temptation will be to play it safe and blend in. All I can say is that this kind of behavior is short-term thinking.

God is real and He will honor the one that is fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9). He is not going to leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6,8). He will make your cause shine (Psalm 37:6).

Do You Believe?

He is calling us to stand out. If we will do it, He will get the glory and we will one day be rewarded. If we shy away and instead blend in, we will miss the opportunity to see Him act. If we do this, where is our faith? Do we really believe what we say we believe?

Jesus Had Ultimate Power

Think about it. As a kid, I knew that Jesus was the Son of God. While I could not easily explain the Trinity, I simply accepted that Jesus was God and man at the same time. Some things that adults have a hard time understanding are just accepted as fact by kids. This was one of those ideas.

Knowing that Jesus was also God at the same time, I knew He had total power to do anything. Stronger than Superman and faster than Flash, Jesus had the ultimate power. There was simply nothing He could not do if He wanted to.

Could Jesus Use His Power?

Because I believed this, I had a REALLY hard time with the question mentioned above. I could not understand why He didn’t use His power more. I mean, I knew He worked miracles. He walked on water, turned water into wine, and raised Lazarus from the dead.

It’s not like He could not use his power at all. Clearly, God did not tell Jesus to hide His power. So if that is the case, why didn’t he use it more often? As a kid, I could think of SO many different ways He could have used it!

Various Examples

He could have used His power to defeat playground bullies. He could have won every arm wrestling match he ever faced. He could have even won the Fastest Runner award every year in school!

As an adult, Jesus did not have to be a lowly carpenter. He could have been a very successful business owner. He could have risen to the top of the political structure of the time. He could have even defeated the Roman army single-handedly and taken over the world!

As a kid with a great imagination, I could come up with endless ways Jesus could have used His power. And every year when Easter came around, this question burned even deeper. Why didn’t Jesus use His power to escape the cross?

Jesus Had An Eternal Perspective

Now, looking back, I see how silly my question was. What seemed so elusive at the time is an answer that is all too obvious now. I am sure it is just as obvious to you as well, but I think it is worth reviewing.

Jesus had an eternal perspective. He came from heaven to earth for a short time and with very specific purposes. Jesus knew before He came that He would return to heaven. He knew that anything material He gained on earth would be left behind upon His return to His throne.

His Purpose Was Bigger

Jesus didn’t overuse His power to win fights or contests because that did not align with His purpose. He didn’t seek business wealth and success because He knew it was fleeting. He knew it was worthless in eternity and promised little comfort during His tenure on earth.

Jesus avoided political and military entanglements because His perspective was even bigger than they could ever be. And most of all, He submitted to the cross because the lives of those He would save as a result were infinitely more valuable than the value of His additional time on earth.

Ridiculous Question

Folks, the question I struggled with as a kid is almost ridiculous when I look back at it. I almost laugh at myself until I come to another realization and want to cry.

See, if this question is so ridiculous to me now, if the answer is so obvious, then why am I still living as if this life on earth is more valuable than the eternity I face after this life?

Do you understand the problem?

I begin to laugh at my limited understanding as a kid until I realize I am still living as if I have that same limited understanding now!

I Am Humbled

When I look at all of the ways I continue to seek my own personal gain today, at the expense of eternal gain, I want to cry. Maybe you are different, but I am almost embarrassed to put these thoughts our here on the blog…and would not, except for the hope that someone else will gain from my weakness and transparency.

The bottom line is that my original question IS ridiculous. The answer IS obvious AND the same purposes that motivated Jesus to act as He did should motivate us today.

We should be exchanging what this short-term world has to offer for the eternal reward that Jesus offers us. We should be sacrificing our comfort today for the promise of the future in heaven.

Some of you are doing this very thing. Some of you are nodding your head right now and maybe even pumping your fist in agreement! At the same time, others of us are silently considering our own lack of commitment.

It’s Not Too Late!

For those of us in this uncomfortable position, the exciting news is that the story is not over. It is not too late! God is faithful AND forgiving. He is full of mercy and grace. He is standing ready to embrace our full focus and lead us to much greater eternal results.

I encourage you not to quit. Don’t give up simply because you feel you have failed in one area or another (or in multiple areas!). Hit your knees, ask for renewed strength, and trust God to lead you. He will never leave you or forsake you!

Do you understand the answer to this question?

Are you living out your understanding?

What needs to change?

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Ambassadors For Christ

In my first post on ambassadors, I shared with you the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20. Here it is again for reference:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

After sharing this verse, we went on to look at the ways in which the responsibilities of a political ambassador parallels the responsibilities we have today as ambassadors for Christ. In my next post, I shared what I believe are the most critical points in understanding our jobs as ambassadors for Christ.

I won’t go back into the details from those posts now, but I will encourage you to read them before moving on. It will help you understand the context for this post. For today, I want to look specifically at the workplace location for political ambassadors and illustrate how it relates to our roles today.

Ambassadors’ Workplace?

I understand that most of have not studied the job of political ambassadors. That’s fine. You don’t need to know the intricate details of how they work and exactly what they do to understand their overall role and how it impacts us.

Since we have covered the major functions of the ambassador role in my previous two posts, let’s now turn and look at the workplace of the ambassador. If you had to guess, based only on the knowledge you currently have about an ambassador, where would you think they perform most of their work duties?

If you were to guess that an ambassador’s work takes place at the embassy, you would be wrong. Sure, that is where their office is located. In fact, their staff is located there as well. But the majority of their work – building relationships with the native people and representing the desires of his king – is done outside of the embassy.

Active And Intentional

See, the ambassador serves in an active and intentional role. He is not assigned to a certain foreign land and asked to sit idly and wait until he is called upon when needed. He is actively seeking to build relationships outside of the embassy.

He is likely meeting in government offices throughout the foreign land. He is probably eating many meals with various representatives in that land. There are probably many impromptu conversations between the ambassador and people of influence in that land. He is also likely attending many functions of various sizes for all sorts of organizations.

Role Of Embassy?

The entire time he is doing all of this, his focused purpose is to represent his “king” and influence the people he meets in the direction of his “king”. At no point does the ambassador have the luxury of waiting for someone to call on him.

Regarding the embassy, there are certainly times that he performs work there. He is probably communicating with his king when he is there. He is planning strategy for influencing the people of the foreign land when he is at the embassy. And of course, there are times he invites to the embassy some of the people he is attempting to influence.

Church = Embassy?

Now, let’s take the same set of lenses and focus them on our roles as ambassadors for Christ. For the sake of this discussion, let’s substitute the church building in the place of the embassy. While it is not a perfect analogy, I think there are enough parallels for you to see the point.

First, as ambassadors for Christ, we are to be active and intentional. We are not called to sit and wait until someone comes to us and asks us about our King Jesus. We are instead to be actively seeking to build relationships with the lost that are OUTSIDE of the church (embassy).

Wherever We Go!

Just like the political ambassadors, we are to be meeting people wherever our lives take us – workplace, community, home – and influencing them toward the desires of our King. We can do this in our office or out in the field. We can do this at the soccer field or at the theater. This can and should be happening in our homes.

The key is that wherever we go and whatever we are doing, our focused purpose is to represent Jesus and point others toward Him. We cannot ever allow ourselves to relax and simply wait for others to come to us and ask. That is not the job of an ambassador.

Church Building Has A Role

As for the church building, it plays a role as well. We should go there to communicate with our King in the faith community. We should go there to learn about our King so we can better represent Him and His desires as we leave to go out into the community. We will also learn and develop our strategies there.

We are even going to make the effort to invite people we meet to come and visit our church. I do not want to minimize this part at all, but I DO want to emphasize that this is not our end goal. Nor should it be part of our strategy to just invite them and hope they catch what we have.

Go Make Disciples!

Our job is much more involved than that. Our job is to make disciples, not just to add to the church membership. This requires our full attention AS we go about our lives in this foreign land. It is our purpose for being in this foreign land. It cannot be overstated.

Do you do most of your work at the “embassy” or in the field?

What part of the ambassador’s work do you struggle with?

What action do you need to take?

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Ambassador Defined

Just to make sure you remember our working definition of “ambassador,” I want to include it here for reference:

An ambassador is a dignitary whose full-time job is to live for a period (usually years) in a foreign land, intentionally building relationships with the people native to that land and purposefully representing to those people the desires of his king.

So what are the critical points here? What aspects are key to our success as ambassadors for Christ?

Full-Time Job

First, let’s talk about the fact that an ambassadorship is a full-time job. It is not one that is only done on the weekends or in the evenings. Ambassadors are always on call. They must always be ready to meet with anyone, not postponing any opportunity to advance their king’s desires.

If we are to be Christ’s ambassadors, then we must be the same way. Being an ambassador for Christ is also a full-time job. Whether in church on a Sunday or on the job site on Monday, we are to represent the desires of our King to those around us.

Part Time Not Available!

This job cannot be taken on a part-time basis. Sure, many of us have been taught that full-time ministry is the responsibility of our local church’s staff or missionaries in a foreign field. Unfortunately, this lie has been accepted by many – even by some in church leadership themselves!

The truth is that we are ALL full-time ministers. We’re all called to be full-time ambassadors for Christ, fulfilling the responsibilities of this job at all times. We are to be ambassadors at church. We are to be ambassadors at work. We are to be ambassadors in the community.

With Intention And Purpose

The second critical point is that the role of an ambassador is an intentional one. It is a job that is done on purpose – actively, not passively. The ambassador is not one that sits around in her office waiting to be called on. She is actively pursuing relationships and working to advance the cause of her homeland.

Unfortunately, many Christians see their job as ambassadors for Christ to be different from this. Many only mention their King on Sundays or in certain crowds when others initiate the conversation. Too many Christians feel they are to be private about their faith, allowing their King to do His own work…without their help.

Folks, this is crazy! As ambassadors, we are to be actively pursuing relationships in every context of our lives – at work, at home, in the community, etc. – for the purpose of pointing others to our King Jesus. We are to be intentionally representing His desires for them to everyone with whom we interact.

There Is Urgency!

Finally, the third critical point I see in this verse is urgency. Look at Paul’s words again:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

Notice a couple of words that convey this urgency to us. “God is appealing through us,” and “We plead on Christ’s behalf. These words, appealing and plead, should make us realize that time is of the essence. We are not guaranteed tomorrow and neither are those who are lost without Jesus.

No Time To Waste!

Since this is true, we do not have time to waste. We need to be acting and we need to be doing it now! There is no more time for us to concern ourselves with building our own fame and renown or pleasure and wealth for the purpose of our enjoyment. Instead, we are to be focused on that which God says is urgent and of primary importance.

This is not about leading a poor lifestyle, but about putting our first priority on fulfilling our jobs as ambassadors and leaving the rest to God. He promises to take care of the rest of it (Matthew 6:33)!

How often do you find yourself being passive in this job?

Based on these critical points, what action step do you need to take first?

Who can you encourage to take the same challenge?

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Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20

What Is An Ambassador?

When you first look at this verse, you may not recognize the fullness of the charge we are given by it. That’s fine…I did not either when I read it the first hundred or so times! Fortunately, it has finally clicked for me and I want to pass my thoughts on to you for consideration.

Let’s start by asking the question, “What is an ambassador?” Though the following is not the official dictionary definition, I believe it does a good job of combining various definitions and descriptions that I have found for an ambassador. Take a look:

An ambassador is a dignitary whose full-time job is to live for a period (usually years) in a foreign land, intentionally building relationships with the people native to that land and purposefully representing to those people the desires of his king.

If you will agree that this accurately describes an ambassador, then I think it would be good for us to break it down into components, applying each one to our own lives.

A Dignitary

The first part of this definition I want to cover is “dignitary.” A dignitary is a person considered to be important because of high rank or office. If the U.S. were to send to a foreign country an ambassador that had absolutely no authority, no knowledge, no “rank” at all, then the only reasonable expectation would be failure. No one would take them seriously, right?

The same is true of us. Whether we realize it or not, we are all dignitaries of our King. We are children and heirs of the Most High God (Romans 8:16-17), the One that created everything that is! We are His chosen children…I am not sure there is a higher rank we should desire.

Lives In A Foreign Land…

An ambassadorship is a position that requires the individual to relocate to the foreign land where he is assigned. This is not a commuter job. It is not a summer job. To be effective in executing this job, the ambassador establishes a residence in the foreign country.

Once again, the same is true for you and me. This earth is not our home. Often in Scripture, we are called aliens or strangers here (1 Peter 2:11). This earth is where we are to live for a period, but it is not where we belong. We belong in heaven with our Father, only here for a time.

…For A Period

Though the ambassador does relocate to the foreign land and commit to living there while on the job, he also knows that at any time he could be called home. An ambassador goes into the job knowing it will not last forever. At some point, he will return to his home “country.”

We, too, will be called home some day. Some will be called home sooner than others. Whether we have a relatively long stay here or a brief tenure, we know it is only temporary (Job 14:1-2). We have a job to do while we are here, but that job will eventually end and we will return home.

Builds Relationships

The ambassador must build relationships with the people in the foreign land if he expects to be effective in his job. These people are very different in their culture and traditions. They will not easily respond to an outsider without first having a relationship with him.

If we are to be effective ambassadors in this world, we must build relationships with the people here (Matthew 9:10). We must learn what makes them tick and study their needs. We need to meet them where they are and help to meet their needs. By building solid relationships with them, we will better be able to complete the next step.

Represents The Desires Of The King

The ambassador’s job does not stop at building relationships. There is a purpose to these relationships. His purpose, from the very beginning, is to represent his “king’s” desires to the people of this foreign land. His purpose is to win them over to these desires and to convince them that these desires are in their best interests.

When we become ambassadors for Christ, we are to be doing the same thing. We should be building relationships with those around us SO THAT we can express to them the desires of our King (Matthew 28:19-20). We need them to know that God loves them and wants the best for them. They need to be convinced by us that Christ’s desires are in their best interests.

To Be Continued!

In my next post, we will look at what I would say are likely the most important aspects of the ambassador job, specifically the one we are called to fill. In the meantime, I would encourage you to take some time and think about what this verse means to you and your job or business.

Do you see yourself as an ambassador?

What part of the above descriptions gives you the most trouble?

If this is new to you, what are your thoughts right now?

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