Being Before Doing

Your primary purpose in life is to enjoy being relationship with God – and everything else flows from that. We are called to be before we do anything. God created us as human beings not human doings. We are created for a purpose and God does have a specific work for us to do while we are on this earth, but who we are (character) is more important that what we do (gifting or ability).
Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 GW
We are all called to be ambassadors (or representatives) of Jesus to the world. Like any ambassador, when people see, hear or encounter you they should see, hear and encounter the person you represent. An ambassador speaks for the one he represents, and thus only speaks what their boss would speak. I have never heard an ambassador to a nation share his own political opinion – he only shares what his boss would say. We’re called “Christians”, or “little Christs”, because when people experience us, they should experience Jesus. We should be telling them what Jesus would tell them, and they should be experiencing Him when they’re around us.
Think about this: What kind of person would you want to represent you? You’d want someone who is trustworthy, someone who you know will represent you the way you would want to be represented! I have had to send people to represent me at meetings before, and I am always very sure to select someone who knows me well enough to say what I would say. The more we grow in our friendship with Jesus and the more we come to know Him, the better we will represent Him.
The moment you receive Jesus and are born again, you represent Him; you’re His ambassador. Every Christian represents Jesus, but some do a poor job – mainly because they don’t really know Him. People who wrongly think that God is harsh, judgmental and condemning usually become like that with other people. When we know God’s true nature – when we see Him as a good, loving, heavenly Father who isn’t holding our sin against us (2 Corinthians 5:10) – we start to treat people with love and kindness.

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV

A steward is a manager: someone who looks after something that belongs to someone else. As ambassadors of Christ (His representatives) we are stewards of His message and His mission. The number one requirement to be a good steward is faithfulness. Faithfulness is dependability, consistency, dedication, being trustworthy. It’s talking about character: who you are.
 
As a Christian, you have influence, but God will only increase your influence for Him as you mature and prove yourself through maturity (character). We all grow in character – it takes time. Character is developed in you by the Holy Spirit as you respond to God’s Word. It is not something that God does for you, independent of you. You need to choose the right things. You choose to be faithful – God won’t force it on you.

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