Brand Ambassador Part 3

If you haven’t read part 1 and part 2, click on these (<—-) links and read them first. Then come back and check out part 3.

Being a Brand Ambassador for Jesus is a full-time job. No, really! Someone is always watching you. Waiting for you to mess up, waiting for you to lose it. Unfortunately, I’ve had my fair share of those moments, that I quickly regretted.

A few years ago, I was standing in a ten items or less checkout lane at the local grocery store. I was the second patron behind another shopper who had a lot more than ten items. Oh boy, this was going to be a while. In the waiting, my patience began to wear thin, rather quickly might I add. That’s a problem for me – very short fuse with patience.

Within a few minutes, the cashier gets the items rung up and bagged, and I think we’re going to get this train moving. SIKE! Impatience reared its ugly head once more, as I watched the shopper searching for money, debit card, credit card – anything to pay the bill with.

Tapping my foot, eyes wide, I sighed very audibly. I just wanted to pay for my things and go. The shopper in front of me, also waiting (with much more patience than me), heard me and just glanced back at me. It wasn’t a hateful glance, nor a glance of understanding. In fact, at the time I didn’t realize what the look really was, but I knew it was saying something (I would later realize it was a look of sadness). But, in that moment it didn’t matter, I rolled my eyes and head while slightly shrugging my shoulders and hands, as if to say, “Is this for real? Don’t you agree with me, this is taking way too long?”.

The shopper was becoming frazzled due to not finding their source of funds and began apologizing to those of us behind them. I offered no response except a dull stare. Until the shopper in front of me stepped forward and swiped their debit card for the person’s items. That dull stare was ripped right off my face and replaced with an anguished expression. My heart dropped to my stomach and I was immediately convicted for my attitude. Instead of representing Jesus to this person, I represented me.

I was so busy thinking about myself, my discomfort in the waiting, my need to keep things moving swiftly that it never even crossed my mind to slow down, give grace, and perhaps even make the same choice to pay for the items myself. I felt ashamed, and was so glad I wasn’t wearing anything identifying me as a Christian.

I thought back to the look of sadness I had received earlier. It now had meaning. It represented to me the sadness Jesus must have felt about my lack of benevolence. I certainly wasn’t acting like the embodiment of Jesus’ identity.

I’m sad to say this isn’t the only time I’ve failed to embody Jesus’ identity. There have been many others:

• I’ve lost my temper at my husband over something small and insignificant.
• I’ve been snippy with servers in restaurants when something was wrong with the meal.
• I’ve posted passive aggressive messages on social media instead of be direct with the person it was meant for.

The list could go on, but to be honest it’s depressing me a little. I don’t like to think of myself as bad. Does anyone though? We like to think of all the ‘good’ we do and how ‘good’ a person we are.

Sure, my hands and feet have done some good things, but was it me or was it Jesus working through me? I personally believe it’s the latter. I believe this because the Bible says in Romans 3: 10, “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one;’…”. In fact, all the way back in the old testament, Isaiah 64:6 says “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Wait! If there is no righteousness in me except that of filthy rags, how can I even be a Brand Ambassador for Jesus?

For me, that answer was found in John 3:30. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Seven profound words. He must increase. We know that in order for that to happen, we have to spend time with Him – in His word, in prayer, in communion.

But the scripture doesn’t stop there, and I believe this is where most of us fail. The second part says, “…but I must decrease.”. How exactly do I decrease?

“And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 9:23 KJV

We must learn to deny ourselves. Deny our fleshly desires, our comforts. And take up our cross. The cross we take up is the embodiment of Jesus’ identity. I believe it is only in the times we have chosen to deny ourselves (decreased), and allowed the Spirit to work through us (He increased) that we are truly Brand Ambassadors for Jesus.

Jesus,

I want to allow You to increase, and for myself to decrease. I want to be more like You, because I am filled with You. More of You, less of me. This is my sole prayer right now. Help me be Your Brand Ambassador by allowing You to work through me. In Your Holy name I pray,

Amen

A challenge for us all: pray this (or a similar prayer) every morning for a week and surrender yourself to Him – let us see what He does!

Until next time, God bless you all!