An Ambassador

"You got to go to the lonesome valley. You got to go there by yourself. Nobody else can go for you."

This morning I awoke, fresh from dreams of death, immorality, and lust. The Enemy was there in the shadows of my bedroom, whispering 'See, you are so phony, so false, so unChrist-like. Get it?"

It wasn't until later today that I found some truth in God's Word: "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. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NASB)

Seems to me the apostle Paul knew a little bit about traveling into the lonesome valley. As I move forward into living out my Mission today (TO MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD BY SERVING OTHERS WITH GRACE, MERCY, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE), I find that ambassadorship is the ability to realize that I must go into the lonesome valley by myself -- yet I am not alone!

Paradox continues to surprise me in life, the way the cold waters of the ocean shrivels the manhood. I am a leader, I am running from being seen. I am free from the horrors of addiction, I seek my comforters. I am powerful, I am so weak in so many ways. I am a man, I am a boy. I am an ambassador for Christ, I am a sinner refusing even His grace.

God is initiating me in powerful ways. He is calling me into my place in the line of the Great Battle. There is no other man who can leave his place in line to take mine. As God continues to call me to engage and battle for the hearts of men, I find my position as an ambassador for him assaulted constantly. 'You suck. You're worthless. You will fail. You are __________.'

I go to the lonesome valley. I am an ambassador. I am not alone. And I fight on, refusing to be taken out by the thought of giving up. The winds of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love blow across the fire in my belly and the flames of my heart.

For more information on men's work, please visit The ManKind Project™ (www.mkp.org). In Kentucky, visit us at http://www.mkpky.org/.

For more information on the battle for men's hearts in Christ, ally with John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries (http://www.ransomedheart.com/).