Being Faithful Ambassadors of Christ Jesus: A Reflection on Paul's Words about Timothy.
"...so I beg you, please follow my example. That is why I am sending to you Timothy, my son in the Lord. I love Timothy, and he is faithful. He will help you remember my way of life in Christ Jesus, just as I teach it in all the churches everywhere."
(1 Corinthians 4: 16,17)
The church of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour needs ambassadors who are faithful in every aspect of Christian living. And, it just does not stop with that; the church needs faithful servants who will carry along in their life what they had received and would have added so much before handing over the batton of faith relay to the next person.
Today, numerous churches and their missions that started long ago have failed to continue the good work, and one of the main reasons for that is the failure of Christian ambassadors who failed to carry along what they received. It is high time that we prepare, mould ourselves and actively involve in the mission of the church as faithful ambassadors who carry the love of Christ Jesus as we have received it.
I am amazed at what the Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Corinth, and the very purpose of him sending Timothy to serve amongst this congregation. Look at those words that Paul uses to justify his purpose of sending a servant, especially Timothy. I am able to see three important words that explain Paul's purpose of selecting Timothy for this work. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4: 17, that Timothy is loved, he is faithful, and he will help the church remember Paul's way of life in Christ Jesus. I read these three aspects of Timothy as important characteristics of a faithful ambassador of Christ Jesus and the mission of the church of Christ.
First of all, an amabassador of Christ Jesus and His mission should be someone who is able to love without boundaries and conditions, and able to receive love with goodness wherever he/she may be stationed. Second, the person should be faithful to the calling, to the work she/he does and be pure in every aspect of his/her thought and behaviour. The last and the most important one is, in Paul's words, to 'help the church remember the faith-forefathers' way of life in Christ Jesus, just as they taught it in all the churches everywhere.' Isn't that something important to realise? Yes. We need ambassadors of Christ Jesus amongst us, who will be servants with love and faithfulness, and will help the modern church look anck at its beginnings, remind the hard and disciplined way of the Christian living, and will continue to hold on to those principles, in order to strenghthen the church by uplifting it to further higher levels of faith and christian living. Many of our churches founded by the dedication and relentless faith of missionaries have failed to carry forward the true mission because we lack people like Timothy who will continuously make an effort to remind the church of its vision and mission.
Today, it is a great calling for many of us; to be like Timothy! It is an invitation to stand as a faithful ambassador of Christ Jesus, His church, and the church's mission. We are called to stand amidst trials, tribulations, oppositions, obstales and ever-challneging barriers, and to stand firm in the giving and receiving of Christ's love, our integrity and faithfulness, and our effort to remind the church of its beginnings, purposes, missions with keeping the vision burning always. May the power and blessing of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, and the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit, be with us all and help us, as we look forward to becoming faithful ambassadors of Christ Jesus and His church in this world.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
"The Church's One Foundation"
Solo by Rianne Utecht
