Creative Ambassadors for Christ

God sees you as an ambassador in all that you do, and He is calling you to be a creative ambassador for Christ. What does this mean? God wants to work through your creativity, your relationships, and your work to bring the shalom of God into the culture where you live. This does not minimize your gifting and craftsmanship. On the contrary. Your talent remains important. Your training remains essential. And God intended for your passion and purpose to soar even more as you embrace your calling to be a creative ambassador for Christ.

The Calling of Ambassadors

Ambassadors are men and women recognized for their unique talents, gifting and character who are called upon by their company or country to be their voice, their face, and their image in a foreign culture. Merriam-Webster defines an ambassador as a diplomatic agent to a foreign culture or government who lives as a representative in this foreign country, specifically for a special assignment. Typically that assignment is related to matters of state. However, it can be an assignment to deal with serious issues about human dignity, human rights, and other serious matters that impact the residents of that country.

The Calling of Creative Ambassadors

To be appointed as an ambassador is a great honor. Creatives and artists have become ambassadors to many organizations, and though it is hip to call people “brand ambassadors,” the original ambassadors were engaged in something much more significant than selling more sneakers for Nike, or iPads for Apple. Before the idea of an ambassador was co-opted by marketing gurus and advertisers, this great honor was more about keeping peace between nations and seeking the good of the country to which you are an ambassador. Actress, Shirley Temple, retired and became the United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia. Angelina Jolie was appointed as Special Envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Ambassadors for Christ

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth with this very idea of ambassadorship in mind. Though the church was fraught with dysfunction, they had become Christians. As such, they are children of God, whom God chose, adopted, and then called them to glorify God right where they live. Paul, recognizes this as he is seeking to encourage and exhort these brothers and sisters of Christ. Here is what Paul wrote,

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:20

The shocking truth here is that God has chosen His people to be His ambassadors. That means His design and intent is that He will speak through you! (Humbling, isn’t it?). No matter your vocation, your education or your location. God designed you and called you to be His ambassador.

Defining Your Audience

Your ambassadorship is multifaceted. Not only are you called to be God’s representative to fellow creatives, but you are also called to be an ambassador to the broader culture and to the body of Christ as well. He has placed you right where he wants you to be, and He has designed you for this particular calling. This doesn’t mean it will be easy. This doesn’t mean it will happen quickly. But it does mean you are never alone, and you have been chosen to be His ambassador, His voice, and His hands and feet where you live.

Other artists, producers and creative executives may never venture through the doors of a church. They may never listen to a sermon online. But God has placed you right there in their presence. It doesn’t matter whether you are an executive or a grunt, an elite media mogul or an emerging talent. People that come into your sphere of work and creativity are your mission field. You may not lead them to Christ, but you are an ambassador for Christ in their presence.

Your Character Influences Your Community

Your character is critical. The ability to be patient when others are irritable and treat people poorly can be a powerful aroma of Christ in your life and heart. Your intentional listening to others, when you could easily ignore them is also a sign God can work through to draw others to pursue him. No matter how we do it, the more we bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-26), the more God can speak through our actions. It may sound cliché, but it is still true: people don’t care what you know, until they know you care. This includes your knowledge of Christ. People aren’t interested in how Christ changed your life until they see that you care sincerely about their struggles, their family members, and their emotional scars.

Your Art is Part of Your Ambassadorship

The nature of the art you create is important. As God’s chosen people, you have been set apart to love Him and to glorify Him. This is true on Sunday mornings in a worship service. It is also true in the art galleries, the live theater, and in video game developers offices and in the movie mogul negotiations at CAA. We cannot split our lives in two and act kind at church, but impatient and unloving in our creative work. We are to be the same person, understanding that we are ambassadors at all times. People in the studio are watching to see if you are different. Are you like the hypocritical religious people they have met in the past? Are you like the arrogant and self-righteous goody-two-shoes people they can’t relate to? Or are you honest about your faults, while striving to be loving to your neighbors. The reality of your faith should be evident. As my old preaching mentor said, “Don’t broadcast that you are a Christian, but if they find out, they should never be surprised.” I am not advocating hard core evangelism. But I am also not letting you and me off the hook. Our lives should be different, and the aroma of Christ ought to be evident in our lives, in the artwork we create, and in the business deals we pursue.

The Reward for Creative Ambassadors

Being an ambassador is rewarding, and it is a coveted position in the political world. This is no less true in our spiritual life if we can open our eyes to see the reality God is calling us to envision. If you can take the time to understand how God loves you and wants to work through you, you just may begin to experience a deeper level of influence and satisfaction. It won’t be easy. But the fruitfulness in your life and the eternal impact of your life will be priceless. Jesus promises to be with us, to give us joy in the journey, and to perfect our faith as we seek to become more like him.

We’d love to hear your experiences of how God has worked through you as His ambassador, or how you plan to apply this to your life, tell us in the comments below!

Copyright © 2022 Joel & Michelle Pelsue. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.