As God adopts us as His own children (as flabbergasting as that is!), He puts us to work in the family business, as agents of reconciliation.

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”                     2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Of course, we do not feel adequate to perform this function, not least because of our acute awareness of our bad record of holy living and obedience.  It seems unlikely that we could influence anybody to consider repentance and being restored back into a close walk with the Sovereign they have offended.  But this is what He charges us to do.  He does not appeal to our ability to accept this job description, but to our availability.

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”                                                         2 Corinthians 3:5

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the   age.”                                     Matthew 28:18-20

Our confidence and effectiveness will not be in our own cleverness and eloquence, but in the miraculous, supernatural power of God’s presence and direction in our lives.

“. . . but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”                             Acts 1:8

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”                      Romans 1:16

Lord, help me to humbly and confidently accept the job You gave me to do in Your family business, that of being a cheerful and enthusiastic ambassador for Your kingdom, inviting others to consider joining Your family and taking their place beside us in Your team of reconciliation.