The phone rings. You look down and check the caller ID. You take a deep breath and sigh. On the other end of the phone is a person whose been bounced around from department to department without help. Each time they were transferred, their anger increases, building like a growing hurricane. Cat 1, 2, 3…. By now, they’re somewhere between a CAT 4 and 5.
Off the top of my head, I can name five people that would greatly enjoy confronting that irate customer. They would give that customer all that they can handle. As a matter of fact, you could wake them up in the middle of a deep sleep, and they wouldn’t miss a beat. However, that’s not you. So, you take a deep breath, remember your training, and slip into “Referee mode.”
What is “Referee mode?”
Well, I’m glad you asked.
Have you ever watched a football game and noticed the referees on the sidelines? Probably not. However, if you have, you will notice the head coach walking up and down the sidelines yelling and screaming in the ear of the referee. It seems like the two are joined at the hip. The coach is in one ear as the team marches down the field. Then, he’s in the opposite ear when the team is on the other side of the ball.
The referee is usually calm, resolved, and unshaken. They’re yelled at, heckled, and called out of their names. This is done not only by the players and the coaching staff but also by the fans.
As Christians, we have a higher calling than refereeing a game. We are called, “Ambassadors for Christ.” That means we are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are representatives of the kingdom of God. Unlike the sideline referees, the world is always watching us.
For example, there were two women who had a disagreement. Let’s name them Sister “A” and Sister “B”. When Sister “A” felt that Sister “B” disrespected her, so she confronted her. The two women had words, and afterward, Sister “B” was offended. Knowing that Sister “A” was a Christian, Sister “B” found another Christian and said, “What she said to me was wrong, and not Christ-like.”
It’s amazing to me how people who are not Christians, always know what is and isn’t Christ-like.
Remember Ambassador, people are always watching.
Being a Christian is not always easy. You don’t always feel spiritual. When times are hard and people around you are giving you a hard time, remember your training. The training that God gave you in Galatians 5:22-23.
The Fruit of the Spirit.
1) Love
2) Joy
3) Peace
4) Longsuffering
5) Gentleness
6) Goodness
7) Faith
8) Meekness
9) Temperance
Fruit is the perfect analogy for this list because when a piece of fruit is squeezed, the juice inside comes out: good or bad. Similarly, when the trials of life squeeze you, whatever’s inside of you will come out as well. God wants his ambassadors to have the Fruit of the Spirit coming out of them (Galatians 5:19-21), when they are tried.
Furthermore, if you’re one of those Christians who currently have struggles walking in the Fruit of the Spirit, you should start with meditating and confessing the Fruits of the Spirit daily. Don’t wait until bedtime. The day is already over. Start in the morning, before the events of the day try your patience. Remember the referee. Remember your training.
As a bonus, here are five scriptures that you should study to help you.
- Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir-up anger.”
- James 1:4 “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
- Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
- Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
- Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
May God bless you.
G. Edward Wyche