His Representatives

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

At the moment we are born-again, we become new creatures. Not only this, but at the moment of our conception into faith we become His representatives on earth. Now, when we say we are Christians, we are saying we are a reflection of Jesus. (Which can be challenging at times!)
 
We will never be perfect - that's for certain. That's why we needed Christ in our lives in the first place. But even though we know we're still full of flaws, it doesn't mean we aren't striving for God's reflection in our lives. The moment we are saved we become ambassadors for His kingdom, wherever we are. We become His ministers, in whatever we are doing. We grow in love as His sons and daughters. Day by day, we become more like Him, as we study His word and spend time worshipping Him. There is nothing to be afraid of - He knows we will fall short. That is why He has given us His gift of grace to help us when we make mistakes.
 
Imagine you are working for a company, one of the best in the world. This company is known for its service excellence and the way it treats its customers, employees, and the community. You have just been hired to be on the sales team, and you go through the training to learn the company rules and procedures. These policies aren't too distant from those found in the Bible. In order to keep your position however, and grow in the company, you must attempt to follow those rules and procedures to the best of your ability. Sure, there are fun days at work. Sure, challenges will happen. But, the policies and procedures will help to guide you through the business landscapes you will endure.
 
Being a Christian isn't all that different - the Bible is our guide. As we walk into our future in Him, we move knowing that our lives are a reflection of His love, grace, mercy, beauty, strength, and everything else that He is. Consider yourself a sales representative for the greatest franchise in history - the Kingdom of God. Both an exciting and sobering concept, huh?
 
May we grow in faith, grace, excellence, integrity, and most of all love, as we discover who we really are as His representatives on earth. 

"Imitate Me"

“Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” -1 Corinthians 4:16

Do you imitate others?

As we live our lives, we may not think we’re imitating anyone;  we may think we are marching to the beat of our own drum. But the truth is, we are imitating someone.

From advertisements to TV, to school to music, to our parents and relatives, everybody is telling us something. They tell us how to live, what kind of clothes to buy, what kind of food to eat; what to believe. Just the millions of song covers on YouTube will tell us we love to imitate those we admire.  But, are we imitating the right people that will get us closer to the plans of God for our lives?

Paul admonishes the Corinthians to “imitate him.” Why? Because he knew he was their example for how to live as a Christian. In the following verse he tells them he is sending his “spiritual son” Timothy as a reminder and example for how to live life as an authentic follower of Jesus.

It’s been said, who we hang around is who we become. Jim Rohn, who was an entrepreneur and motivational speaker said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Are we being intentional about who we are imitating and hanging around?

In order to become all that God intends us to be, we need to find people to imitate, who have the fruit in their lives that we want.  A fruit is a RESULT.  Meeting with someone who has been married 5 times for marriage advice probably isn’t the best idea. Conversely, attending a training from someone who has their own successful business when you want your own is!  We need to be intentional.

What do you want to accomplish in life? Do you have an idea about what you are gifted in or passionate about? Find people who have what you want and do what they do.  This is the quickest way to find out how to be where you want to be - to learn from others who have both the experience, and the fruit. 

A Stellar Example

"The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom." -Daniel 1:20

I love the example of Daniel and his friends. Daniel was such an unwavering model of faith, excellence, and purity, in spite of the world in which he and his friends found themselves.

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." -Daniel 1:8

Daniel and his friends were excellent in four areas:

• Physically: they were physically fit & disciplined
• Mentally: they were filled with wisdom and knowledge
• Relationally: they had one another for support, were respectful, and were highly favored among the king & his officials
• Spiritually: -they were filled with faith, they did not bow down to the world's system, and Daniel was excellent in his spiritual gifting (dream interpretation)

"To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds." -Daniel 1:17

The Bible says Daniel and his friends were 10 TIMES better than all the other magicians and enchanters in the land. To me, the example of Daniel and his friend speaks volumes. They lived in Babylon, in the world's system, which was contradictory to their faith. They lived as foreigners under the king's service. But they remained pure, disciplined, accountable to one another, and spiritually aligned with God. I believe it was because of these four things that God showed up in their midst. (Daniel 3:25)

Daniel challenges me in these four areas of my life, to be excellent and sharp in each one. Does Daniel's example inspire or challenge you? May we be the best examples of the God we serve, so that His light can be revealed in us for all the world to see.

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." -Daniel 12:3