ambassadors – Resounding Shophar Ministries

Do as unto the Lord. A phrase that is often times heard within church circles giving both instruction and encouragement to fellow Christians, but I wonder how many of us really know or have any idea of what that means. For that matter, how many of us can actually say we’re doing that?

For the past several weeks I’ve found myself doing something I don’t like or enjoy doing, and the question that has been asked of me, and that I have even asked of myself on multiple occasions, is this, am I doing it as unto the Lord? Each time the question has been asked I have answered it in the positive, but this past week I have found myself really pondering the phrase and asking the Lord what does it mean exactly. Now, what I’ve been doing isn’t something that I’ve been forced into, but it is something I’ve been willing to do on a very temporary basis, which raises the question all the more. So, with that I have really been seeking to know exactly what that means and to see if I can, in clear conscience, say I have been doing that.

Where does the phrase “do as unto the Lord” come from? We get this from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Colossians (Colossians 3:23). We live in a society that has the mindset it can decide when and how we ought to “do as unto the Lord”, but right off the bat the Apostle Paul tells us it should be in whatever we do. Some people try to find ways to justify or rationalize why they don’t have to do so, or even to find “loopholes” that give them an excuse to do otherwise, but Paul makes it clear it should be in whatever we do. Have you ever heard someone ask the question, “what part of ‘no’ do you not understand”, or something very similar? In much the same way, when people attempt to justify or find excuses to not do things as unto the Lord in a situation I find myself asking the following question, “what part of ‘whatever’ do you not understand”? It doesn’t matter what we are doing, where we are at or even who we are with, but it is important for us to do everything as unto the Lord.

So, what does it mean for us to do whatever we do as unto the Lord? Are there indicators to help us know whether or not we are doing things as unto the Lord? As I’ve pondered things the past week or so a number of things have come to mind as indicators for us to pay attention to, and I encourage you to evaluate all the areas of your life as we go through some of the indicators I will address.

The first indicator of whether or not we are doing things as unto the Lord is found in the same verse. Paul tells us to do things as unto the Lord and not unto men. If we are doing things to gain the approval or acceptance of others then we are not doing them unto the Lord. If we are more concerned about what they think or what they may do than we are of the Lord, then that is an indicator we are not doing things as unto the Lord. Our motivation and attitudes in what we are doing are reflections of where our heart is and whether or not we are doing them as unto the Lord.

Another indicator of whether or not we are doing things as unto the Lord is in the area of integrity. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are told that we are ambassadors of Christ and as such we represent Him to those around us. As ambassadors of Christ it is vital that we do things with integrity as that is the heart of God and accurately represents the God we serve. Many times over the years, and especially lately, I have been tempted to cut corners in what I’m doing. Sometimes it involved doing things just enough to say I did it, or to cut corners instead of doing things right and properly, or even to report I did something I know I didn’t do. The few times I did give in to such temptations it was quickly followed by conviction when the Spirit of God would tell me it was dishonoring to Him and that it was wrong and dishonest, and in those instances I’ve had to go back and correct those things, and when necessary confess and apologize to the powers that be. If we are not doing things with integrity the conclusion is simple, we are not doing them as unto the Lord but instead unto ourselves or others. To do things as unto the Lord requires that we do them with integrity no matter the cost. As someone who trained professional bus drivers, one thing I would stress to them is that a mark of someone being professional was that they did things right, proper and safe, no matter how inconvenient or ridiculous it may appear even if no one is around to witness it. As Christians and ambassadors of Christ, the standard by which God expects us to do things should at least match this mindset if not exceed it.

In going back to Colossians 3:23 we find another indicator of whether or not we are doing things as unto the Lord. Paul tells us that we need to do it “heartily”. Now does this mean we are to like or enjoy what it is that we are doing? I don’t believe this is what is being said here. When I think of Joseph who was sold into slavery and sent to prison on trumped up charges, I find it hard to think that he liked or enjoyed being a slave or a prisoner. What I do believe is that in the midst of these times he made a point of honoring God in all he did no matter where he was or why he was there, and that should our mindset as well. So, what does it mean to do it “heartily”? I believe the idea is that we don’t attempt to do things as unto the Lord begrudgingly or because we’re supposed to, but instead we are to desire to do whatever it is as unto the Lord because of our love for Him and what He’s done for us. If we do things with this attitude and mindset it makes things a lot easier to do them with integrity and character even when others are not around to see whether or not we’re doing them right and proper.

Another indicator of whether or not we are doing things as unto the Lord is the level of excellence we consider acceptable and strive for. If we determine the quality and performance characteristics of what we do based on what others are doing, or on what those in the world considers acceptable regardless of whether or not it is right or wrong, then we are not doing them as unto the Lord. God expects us to live by His standards, standards that far exceed what the world’s standards are. To do so often times puts us in the cross-hairs of others who don’t live by the worlds standards and are usually convicted by it, and then another test of whether or not we are doing things as unto Him is whether or not we “cave” to such attacks. God is a God of excellence, and one of the indicators that we are His is reflected in our pursuit of doing things at a level of excellence that mirrors the standards by which we are to represent Him to others.

One last thing to consider as we look at this is the potential or realized fallout of not doing things as unto the Lord. I have heard of many, as I’m sure you have, of people who have looked at how Christians have done things or conducted business and as a result did not want anything to do with Christianity. Sometimes they have questioned why they should have relationship with Christ if Christians live or do things no differently than others who are not Christians. Others have been offended to think that Christians would be so “shady” in their doings and have concluded they did not want anything to do with Christianity because of the hypocrisy they see. These people usually don’t verbalize these thoughts or decisions, especially to the ones that have offended them or were hypocritical in some way, but God knows and He holds us accountable if those people did not make it into heaven as a result of how we did things. Granted, not everything that offends people or makes them think a Christian is hypocritical is correct and true as it sometimes is based on perceptions rather than truth, but we are to be mindful of how and why we do things and have a clean and clear conscience before God in it. It’s not so much a matter of forgiveness as some would have it, but instead a matter of representation and living in a way that honors God no matter what others may think or do.

So, are there areas in your life and work habits that you found do not honor God, or that you’re not doing them as unto the Lord? If so, then you need to first repent to God for it, then simply turn away from doing things as you have been and start doing them in a way that both honors God and reflects doing them as unto Him. In some cases, it may mean you need to simply stop what you are doing if there is no way you can honor Him and do it as unto Him. Take it to God in prayer and be open to His small, still voice for His guidance and instruction. For many, what you’ve read in this blog will be God’s words to you and will be sufficient in His sight whether or not you choose to accept and embrace it, so be careful not to be quick to discount it as possibly God speaking to you through it. May your life and all you do be one that can be said you did it as unto the Lord. None of us will perfectly obtain that in every area of our lives on this side of eternity, but it needs to be seen in our attitudes and our daily decisions and choices that it is clearly both our priority and truly our heart and not just words we say.

John Johansson

http://johnejo.com/rshophar/blogcentral/subscriptions/

We live in a time when the mind of Christ is the furthest thing from most people’s thoughts. In fact, if you were to ask people what is the mind of Christ, the majority would not be able to answer that question or would have a twisted idea of what that is. Has the understanding of what the mind of Christ is for the most part been lost to a culture that is consumed on satisfying self in one way or another?

What is the mind of Christ? There is a lot preached from America’s pulpits, among both the televised and local churches throughout the country, of what the mind of Christ is, but is what they are preaching really the mind of Christ? Let’s take a look at this and see for ourselves. In Philippians Paul tells us what the mind of Christ is, so I think that is probably the best place to start with this. Let’s take a look at it.

In Philippians 2:5, Paul tells us to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, so let’s see if we have the same mindset. Even though teachers and preachers of the Gospel tend to skip right past verse 6 of this same chapter, probably thinking that it doesn’t apply to us, but I believe that is the farthest thing from the truth. Why is it that verse 6 tends to get skipped over so frequently? Well, what does it say?

“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, …” Philippians 2:6 (NKJV)

This verse talks of Jesus being in the form of God, and that He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, so how does this apply to us? No, we are not God, nor are we equal with God, so why is it that Paul felt that it was important to mention this? After all, this should be a “no-brainer”, right? Well, not necessarily. In Romans 8:12-17, we are told that not only are we adopted into the family of God, but we are also joint-heirs with Christ. Wow. That is awesome, to think that God values us, His creation, in such high regard that He would sacrifice His son for our salvation. And, to top it off, we’re not just adopted by God, but we’ve been made joint heirs with Jesus, our creator. Who said that God doesn’t love us and have such exciting things in store for us? Well, this is where we get tripped up. We hear a lot of preachers and teachers telling us how we are to live as children of the King, and that we should focus on living under the blessings and perks of that relationship, settling for nothing less. We hear how we should claim God’s promises for us in regards to health, prosperity and promotion, because after all Jesus made those things possible for us with His sacrifice and resurrection. We see and hear of scripture in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that reinforces this mindset, but do we just focus on those scriptures? Or, are we to also include the other scriptures in the Bible?

We as people have the tendency to grab a hold of key scriptures that we like and ‘tickle’ our ears, forgetting that there are other scriptures that we need to factor into the equation to get a balanced view of what God is saying to us? Philippians 2:6 is one of those verses that is often times, and conveniently, overlooked or passed right over. Paul tells us to have the same mindset of Christ, and to do so we need to consider this verse. Just as Christ is God and did not consider wrong to be equal with God, even so we need to have the confidence that we are children of God and joint-heirs with Jesus, but what did Jesus do with this confidence of who He is? Well, verse 7 tells us that He made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and verse 8 tells us that He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. That puts an interesting twist to things, doesn’t it? How does this fit in with a lot of the teachings we hear these days, claiming God’s blessings and promises for us based on our ‘rights’ as children of God?

Am I saying that God doesn’t want to bless us or that He doesn’t want to fulfill the promises He’s made to us? Not at all! God does want to bless us, and He does want to fulfill His promises to us, but for us to make a lifestyle of claiming our ‘rights’ to those is wrong. There is a time when we are to claim our ‘rights’ to things, much like when Paul exercised his rights as a Roman citizen. Paul had been beaten and imprisoned on many occasions but never chose to claim his rights until he saw an opportunity to use it to further the Gospel and to take it to Rome. Just as Jesus never used His position as the Son of God to do anything for His own benefit and purposes, and just as Paul didn’t use his rights as a Roman citizen for his own benefit and purposes, even so we shouldn’t be exercising our ‘rights’ as children of God for our own benefits and purposes. We should only use what God has promised us as His children for the furtherance of the Gospel and the name of Christ, and to do that we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to when and how we should do so.

Many times we forget that this life we live is not our own, but is Christ’s life lived through us. We are called to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world, reconciling men back to right relationship with Jesus. That doesn’t mean that God won’t bless us along the way, or that He won’t make good on His promises towards us this side of eternity, because He does do that, but as His bondservants we shouldn’t be claiming our rights to such things if we are truly working as His ambassadors. He is the one that determines how, where, and to whom we are to take Jesus to the lost and hurting, and because of that we need to be willing to go and do whatever He would have us to for the Gospel and the sake of Christ. Paul learned to be content in all things for the purpose of doing the will of God for him, and even so we need to learn to be content knowing that the salvation and healing of others is of greater importance than our temporal blessings and comforts of life. We have eternity to experience and enjoy ALL that God has for us, but let us not focus on storing up treasures or building empires in this life only to barely make it into heaven and have no real treasures have been stored up.

Think about these things. Are you living a life focused on living as children of the King now, with all its blessings, rights and comforts, or are you willing to go without for the purpose of doing the will of God and storing up treasures for yourself in heaven.

Tag: ambassadors

As Unto the Lord

Putting on the Mind of Christ