And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Joshua 2:11
I don’t have any desire to run a gym, but today’s passage got me wondering – If I did own a gym, would people look at me and my gym and want to be involved? Would others observe the effects that the gym has had on those who attend my gym and believe in the product? Or would they look at me and those associated with my gym with doubt? That gym doesn’t seem to be working. I want nothing to do with it. As an ambassador for my gym, would my life repel or attract others?
Fifteen years ago, when I was in the middle of a secret struggle with opioid addiction, I’d bet that most people in my circle of influence knew that I called myself a Christian. I went to church. I inserted my faith into political discussions. Anyone watching likely understood that I believed in God. So, what did they think when I tore my life apart with my addiction? I’d suspect that a lot of fellow Christians thought – Christians don’t act like that. I also suspect that anyone who didn’t believe in God thought something like this – What a hypocrite. If that’s faith, I want nothing to do with it. As an ambassador for Christ, I was doing a terrible job, repelling others from the faith I claimed.
Today’s passage illustrates this ambassador concept. In the story, two Israelite spies entered Jericho, encountering Rahab, a prostitute. Recognizing them as Israelites, Rahab told them how she’d heard of what God had done in their lives, delivering them from Egypt and defeating all who opposed them. She saw God’s work and she believed, risking her own life to help the spies escape, trusting that God would save her when the Israelites attacked Jericho. Rahab observed God’s salvation and she wanted in on it.
Whether I like it or not, if I call myself a Christian, others will observe the effect that faith has on my life. What do they see? Do they see something that they want to be a part of? Or does my version of faith repel them? If I’ve not allowed God to transform me, then others will likely see only my self-destructive nature. If, however, I daily follow God’s plan, he will transform me in such a way that others who need similar transformation will see and want. If I call myself a Christian, I’m a representative of Christ. So, today, I must ask myself if my words and actions repel others or attract them to him.