Pointing Others to God

Matthew 5:16; Luke 18:43

God calls us to not only give sacrificially to the church but also to the world outside of the church.  As the church body we are the actual hands and feet of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul calls us Christ’s ambassadors; we speak for Christ! How would you feel if every time you did something good at work or home your boss or sibling was praised for it? That would be frustrating, yet this is how we are to live, in such a way that God gets the credit for “our” good deeds. Our “good deeds” should point others to our heavenly Father. After Jesus healed the blind man, the healed man and the people watching did not bow down and worship Jesus, even though he would have deserved that, they began praising God the Father. Jesus’ life always pointed back to the Father. This is what sacrificial giving looks like, giving without receiving the “reward” of praise and adulation for our giving, as Jesus did.

Questions for further thought:
1. Where am I “taking credit” that actually should go to God?
2. In what ways can I be an ambassador for Christ in my everyday life?

​Challenge: Think of one person you encounter throughout your week that does not know Christ. Pray for God to show you how you can be an “ambassador” by giving sacrificially to that person in a way that will point them to God.