Friend, You’ve Got This: Agents of Change

Sometimes I get a bit tickled thinking of Jonah. There he was – all ready to serve God – and then God tells him to go into the exact opposite place that he’d ever choose to go! The area was mean; the place was spiritually dark; and, oh by the way, He didn’t even like the people! Does that thought resonate with you today?

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Strengthen Your Walk and our 10-part series “Friend, You’ve Got This!” I’m Kim Crabill and as always, delighted to have you join me today. With an intro like that, I’m not sure you’ll want to stay, but hold on, I do have some good news!

Watch Friend, You’ve Got This! with Kim Crabill

Sometimes I think one of the reasons we begin to feel discouraged is the false belief that if we are doing what God wants us to do then we will only be placed in happy and fun places. We’ll be dancing on a bed of roses and we will never, ever, ever have a problem. But the truth is, we are going to find ourselves in places where, perhaps you are today – in dark places, stinky places, uncomfortable places, and places that are anything but fun and exciting.

But, God never promised that we’d be confined to holy huddles where we could hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.” Our commission (Matthew 28) is to GO – go into the world. And if you’ve noticed, it can be a rather unfriendly and frightful place out there. Yet, that’s our ultimate calling – not to take a walk IN the world, but to fulfill a work TO the world (Ephesians 2:10).

Our specific role is found in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are Christ’s ambassadors …” An ambassador is best known as a government representative commissioned to serve in a foreign country. They basically communicate the policies of the government they represent, and work primarily to keep good relationships between countries.

So, in biblical terms, you and I as believers, are now residents of heaven, and commissioned, or called, to represent Christ while we remain here in this world. According to John 20:21, here are three ways we can represent Christ:

Be the salt – Matthew 5:13
Be the light – Matthew 5:14
Be the aroma, or fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15) to the world we live in.

So, when God calls you to dark places, stinky places, and places that are anything but fun and exciting, don’t battle God, don’t be discouraged, and don’t be a Jonah! Don’t walk away or run away. God knows what He is doing and where He has placed you is your mission field. You just let your light shine. Let your salt out of your salt box and sprinkle your own God-seasoning of love and kindness, grace and mercy, all over the place. When you leave, Jesus, whom they saw in you, will have them saying, “What a beautiful fragrance she left behind.”

I’m not trying to say this is easy, but I will say this: God has promised to give you the strength to do what He calls you to do. So friend, remember what God has called you to and be obedient to where He sends you. You’ve Got This … because He’s got you.

Thank you for joining me today … I look forward to seeing you next time on Strengthen Your Walk.

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