According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, the word ambassador means an authorized representative or messenger. Usually we think of this word in the political realm as someone who is an Ambassador for the U.S. to another country. But, there are also many entities who have ambassadors representing their brand.
Christians are also ambassadors. Whether in our workplace, our communities, our homes, or even on vacation, we are to be Christ’s representatives to those who don’t know Him in addition to those who do.
Is it easy? Not always. Will we fail? For sure.
One such example of my ambassadorship occurred many years ago when I started a new job. One of my female co-workers was “Louise.” She worked on another floor but often delivered documents to another co-worker near my office causing our paths to cross.
I always greeted Louise with a “Good morning” or a “Hi,” with no verbal response and what appeared to be daggers emanating from her eyes directed towards me. This continued for months. One day she entered the copy room while I was there.
“I feel like you don’t like me,” I said to Louise.
“You’re right,” she replied. “I don’t like you.”
“Well did I ever do anything to you? If so, I would like to apologize.”
“No,” she retorted. “I just don’t like you.” I was stunned into silence.
I shared this uneasy encounter with Diane, another co-worker. “Louise had a very rough childhood,” Diane told me before adding a few minor details about Louise’s upbringing. “She’s probably jealous of you.”
“Jealous of me?” I asked. “I had a very traumatic childhood as well.” I went on to tell Diane about my own painful childhood, conversion to Christianity and emotional healing. She was amazed.
I now understood that Louise was carrying the pain of her childhood into her adulthood like I once did. When she saw me, she saw a young woman who appeared whole. I decided to pray for Louise and the situation.
As our paths continued to cross, I greeted her just as I did before our encounter in the copy room. Still no verbal response.
About a year or two later Louise came up to my desk. “Do you have a Bible with you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Can I borrow it for a few minutes? I want to look something up.”
“Sure,” I responded as I took it out of my desk drawer and handed it to her.
Later that day she returned my bible. “Thanks,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” I replied.
No other words. No questions.
I don’t know how Louise knew I had a Bible. I can only assume that at some point Diane or one of my other co-workers told Louise I was a Christian and may even have shared my testimony with her.
I only worked in that office for about five few years and never saw Louise again.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul says: “We therefore are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.”
So wherever we go, whoever we meet, let’s allow God to make His appeal to others through us. We just might be the only Bible they ever read.
Mary Therese Hutchinson 