day 709: What We See

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us."

As consumers, for most companies we have no idea what the inside of their businesses look like, other than what we experience as a consumer. We know what McDonald's looks like from the store, but wouldn't have a clue what the corporate HQ looks like unless we look it up and the company would share that with us. That said, it's why what we see as consumers becomes what the company is for us, and maybe that is all we ever see. So, where the consumer is exposed becomes the point of truth and what will be the take=away to share with others. That's why companies pay so much attention to ensuring that they provide and leave the best impression with their front-line employees and exposure point locations. It is always in our best interest to shore up and protect these places and people who represent us. That first impression, that "what we see" can speak volumes and become an indelible image and impression.

This past weekend I visited Hillsong Church in Manhattan and Carl Lentz, the pastor, made the point that each of us will for more people than we know, be the only "what we see" opportunities for what it means to be a follower of Jesus. If we were to stop for a moment and think about all the people who we will interact with today, and how many of them will take the time to go to church, pick up a Bible or reach out to someone to ask about what it means to believe and follow, then it becomes pretty obvious that we are an important and critical exposure point. Paul tells us that we are God's ambassadors. That means that we are what they see about Jesus. It's an awesome responsibility and one that we should reflect upon today as we go about our work and life.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:20 (New Living Testament)