“You Belong Here!”
There, in the street, I sat in my wheelchair holding this colorful sign, welcoming all. As cars passed by, some smiled, others simply stared. Either way, I finally knew in this moment what it means to be made new.
If anyone from church would have asked me to do this a year ago, I would have been totally reluctant, secretly rolling my eyes due to my uncomfortable state of mind, requesting to be placed somewhere else. But this time was different. I was standing out there for God.
After all these years of worrying about what people think, I view myself and the task differently.
I have been given an opportunity by God.
With this one action, I get to be a part of God’s team and share the light He placed within me.
Everything Jesus has done to make me whole and bring joy into my life is not meant for just me and Jesus to share. Because of Him, I am no longer that nervous girl, sheltering herself from the world. Jesus has given me happiness and strength that is meant to be shared. To hold all this inside would be unfair to the Lord.
Through Jesus, God has made me new, just as He said He would.
2 Corinthians 5:17 HCSB
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”
We Have To Make A Choice
God has taken all my old ways of thinking that were negative and replaced them with possibility. God then built within me a new sense of calmness. This did not happen the instant I gave my life to Jesus. I actually have been fighting this for a long time because it is whole lot easier to hold on to something you know than something new. Crazy, right.
The fact is the choice is ours to embrace the new or not and it’s a rather important choice that can’t be set aside for later.
When I kept going back to my old ways, I lost time that was valuable not only to me but to God and those He needed me to help.
Paul, the apostle, explains to the church in Corinth the process of becoming new through God’s grace and how our goal is to live that out for others to see.
God “reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” Paul states. (2 Corinthians 5:18)
“He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God In Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus reconciles or restores our relationship with God even though we are sinners. The moment we accept Jesus as our Savior, He forgives us of our sins and becomes the teacher guiding us into righteousness.
This is the newness that comes through Jesus. He has taken your sin so you can live a new life – a life where Jesus is opening your eyes to see a new pathway.
He desires to renew your mind in a way that will change your approach to life and its challenges.
You have a purpose that is unique through this relationship with the Lord.
When Paul writes we have been handed “the ministry of reconciliation,” I believe he is saying it is up to us, not just churches or pastors, to display the amazing works of the Lord for all to see.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 HCSB
For me, that means being vulnerable and putting my testimony out in the open.
God is pushing me beyond this blog. And yes, while it might seem so small, holding a sign was a big part of the growing process for me as an ambassador for Christ.
I knew I had to let go of any worry or nervousness, so I placed myself out in the street and smiled for what God has done for me.
Our lives should represent Jesus: His Joy. His Kindness. His Love. His Patience. His Words.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 HCSB
Consider Your New Role
Focus on the verses above for the next few days and ask yourself:
What does being an ambassador for Christ look like for me?
Take time to recall your own personal testimony and how the Lord has made you new through His love and guidance. When was the last time you shared that amazing story?
People who do not know Jesus will have a chance to know Him through you and the person you’ve become with Jesus in your heart.
To take a small step for Jesus is big. Begin to embrace what He has placed within you.
Even if you have yet to fully commit to Jesus, He is here, ready to bring change into your life, uniting together you and God. Right now you can ask the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and invite Him into your heart.
Give thanks to Him and begin your new journey with Jesus today.
As Paul states to the church:
“Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 HCSB
Thank you for letting me share this part of my testimony. Comment below how God has made you into a new creation. I would love to hear your testimony. You can also subscribe below to receive email notifications when new stories are published.
DEDICATED TO JESUS
A Journey of Faith
Danette, you are a wonderful Ambassador. You have grown so much and I am so proud of you. You and your blogs are so helpful to me. They give me hope. They give me direction. I have been taking time every morning to spend with God. Our personal time together and it starts my day in such a positive way. This year has been a challenge for me with learning at the end of 2022 that I had lung cancer. With God by my side always, I was able to have the lobectomy surgery on my right lung that I needed and recover in a positive way. I had such a fear the first time I had a post CT scan. But I handed it to God and my fears went away. I am taking a day at a time to build a stronger relationship.
Linda, thank you for sharing! To hand over your fears to God and walk in faith is an inspiration to me. The Lord is filling your heart with His love and strength as you spend more time with Him. This is an example to us all on the importance of building a connection with the Lord daily and trusting Him through the difficult times. Thanks again for being so open. I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for you.