Back in the day when I was in youth group, yes I know the earth was flat and the wheel had just been invented, my youth pastor used to tell me something that has stuck with me for a long time, he said,
"You need to realize that you represent more than just yourself in this world. You represent your family, this youth ministry, and Christ himself. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only an instant to destroy it."
The more and more I've thought about that quote, the more and more it rings so true. Often times we don't view our lives as representing our family, our church, and Christ. Christ though said that we are his ambassadors (representatives) in 2 Corinthians 5:20 though. Every moment of every day we represent Christ. It is a full-time job that never stops, we don't just take our Christ hat off when it feels good, even in our bad moment where we mess up and sin we are still representing Christ, just not very well. Paul also says in 2 Corinthians 3:3 that we are living letters for Christ, proof of his ministry. Every person you come in contact with you represent our youth ministry and Christ. What kind of letter are you writing to those people? Are you writing a letter of compassion, love, devotion, and holiness; or one of deceit, pride, and foolishness? The choice of what kind of representative you are going to be is yours. Remember this though, it will take you a lifetime to develop a consistent reputation as a die hard follower of Christ, but only a moment to destroy it.
Your challenge today is to write the word representative down on your hand (I know writing on your hand is bad, but do it anyways). I want you to think about your own life today and how well you represent Christ, your youth ministry, and your family. What kind of reputation have you developed. How can you begin to change that reputation to better reflect Christ? How can you represent him today? Then do it, it's just that simple.
Here's your group question for the day: How are you doing as a representative of Christ, our youth ministry, and your family? What are some things we can change to be better representatives?
Hey Fusion!!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm a little to old to crash your party, but I wanted to give you guys a real life example of what PJ is talking about, because its true. I work for a Biology lab at the University of Maryland, which means most of the day I can't really talk about Christ in words. A lot of my coworkers are from other countries and think being a Christian is kinda the same thing as being an American. So in the few times I have talked about Jesus to them, they haven't really understood. Its been really, really important for me to LIVE out what a Christian is to them.
For me, that means things like I don't make promises I don't keep, that I'm in the office at consistent times, that I listen to them more than I talk at them, and that I say "Thank You" a LOT. If I make a mistake, I have to admit it, apologize, and work to make it right. I have to work hard at being good at what I do, so they can trust me to take care of their research. And if I can do all that with a smile on my face because of the joy Jesus has given me, it makes a HUGE HUGE difference in their lives. My newest coworker from China has been going to small group with me for a year now because of it!
None of that stuff is impossible to do. I started practicing how to be a person like that when I was in my youth group (yeah, yeah, back when we used horses for getting places). Just making an effort to say "Thank you" to people and not giving up can show Jesus' care and concern for everyone, not just us "Christian" people. You can do it. And it will change your world.
God bless you guys! Kick some serious butt for the Kingdom out there!
Amy
Well, i talk about Fusion all the time at school, telling people how awesome it is and that if they ever want to come, i'm always there. I tell them some things that Gods done in my life over the past few years, and that He can do that for them too, because i know a lot of people who suffer from self harm issues to trust issues to abuse. And it's not fair for them to have to suffer when they can have such a better life than the one they have.
ReplyDeleteBut alas, people are stubborn and some refuse to listen or even try. which breaks my heart, because some of them don't believe in God or Heaven or Hell and they don't realize what they're doing to themselves. they've become blind to the reality of the situation.
Back to the question: I try my VERY hardest to be a wonderful representative for Christ in my school, but sometimes, people get the best of me. And that will change.
We can be better representatives for Christ by just simply acting like God would want us to act, i guess. Be who God wants us to be and not give in to society and what they do, think or say :)
When im at school I try to be a representation of christ but at the same time Im not always thinking about it or what Im doing and if I call myself a Christian than how should I act. At my school I try to live different ly than others but we have chapel and we do worship too and sometimes we do some of the songs we sing at youth group. During this time alot of people dont take it seriously but I try to even with the distractions and sometimes I worship God and Im the only one doing it and at the same time I feel like people are looking at me weird. This is even at a christian school but I feel like when I do that I am being a representation of how we act if we really do love Christ.
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