The Road Back

Have you ever felt that you were called to more? More than just the same routine or the same way of living day in and day out? Too often we feel trapped on the hamster wheel of life. Just continuing to spin our tires trying to get by. It can feel frustrating and even exhausting at times. Struggling to get off the carousel. It’s hard to get out of the routine when you feel stuck in a rut. But maybe it’s not the routine that needs to adapt, but our way of thinking. Every believer has been given a special gift because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He’s brought us back to life to where we are no longer bound by the things of this world. We are granted freedom in this life. However, that freedom comes with a job.

If you're an adopted child of God, you're not just called to be a recipient of saving grace; you've now been called to be a participant of that same redeeming grace. In other words - pastors aren't supposed to be the only Christians in ministry. Every believer is called to be in ministry, not necessarily by vocation (in a salaried position), and not even in an organized way (like a volunteer Sunday school teacher or youth group leader), but through a lifestyle of intentional ambassadorial behavior (Paul David Tripp).

The ruts we face can often be because we’ve forgotten what we are called to. Not just recipients, but participants. The apostle Paul was on a journey to tear down the newly formed Christian faith, however, the entire course of his life was changed on the road to Damascus when he encountered the risen Jesus. The Lord had a new plan for the life of Paul. The Lord told a man named Ananias to go and receive Paul saying, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel (Acts 9:15 NIV).

Paul could have ignored all of this and just continued on with his new life. Stuck in the routine and never jumping off the hamster wheel. However, that’s not what Paul did. He embraced his new life. He embraced his new identity as a child of the living God. And embraced his role as an ambassador for King Jesus in this world. Every believer throughout history has been given the same task. To carry the name of Jesus to the world as an ambassador for the kingdom of God through our very lives. Your work is a ministry. Your coffee place is a ministry. Our lifestyle of intentional ambassadorial behavior can change the life of someone in this world. We don’t have to stay on the carousel for another year. There is a road that leads to a new way of life. Jesus has risen! And He calls us to live and work in this world as His representatives.

Be the change in this world. Share the Word. Actively participate in the redeeming grace that we’ve been given.