A Mini-King or an Ambassador?
Theme of the Week: Liberated Words
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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Key Bible Verse: He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him. … We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:15, 20 NIV). Bonus Reading: Romans 14:7-9
A mini-king is always seeking to establish his will rather than submit to God's will. He flatters his friend because he wants to be liked. He trims the truth to avoid conflict. He yells at his child about his messy room. Winning an argument is all he cares about. There's no end to the battle of words when two mini-kings talk to each other! His words reflect the self-focused desires of his heart rather than God's work of reconciliation.
An ambassador, on the other hand, is seeking to be part of what the King is doing. He does one thing only—represent. Every word he speaks is directed by the king's interests and will. What he says is driven by what God is seeking to accomplish in him and in the other person.
Does that mean that an ambassador quotes Scripture incessantly or constantly points out the sin in others? Does it mean he can never talk about sports, the weather, or family schedules? Speaking as an ambassador isn't about using biblical words; it's about speaking with a biblical agenda.
—Tim Lane & Paul Tripp in Relationships: A Mess Worth Making
My Response: A self-promoting spin on my words that I should abandon is …
Thought to Apply: What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and to enjoy him forever. —Westminster Shorter Catechism
Adapted from Adapted from Relationships: A Mess Worth Making (New Growth Press, 2006) by permission. All rights reserved by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp and/or New Growth Press.
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Teach me, Lord, to stop using my words selfishly and instead shape them to help advance your kingdom.
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