Proverbs 13:17-18 

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. ¹⁸Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Olympics

Which part of the Olympics did you attentively watch? Did you watch how Canadian runners won the 4×100 meters relay? Did you watch the opening and closing ceremony? Did you watch gymnastics? After the Philippines won 2 gold medals in gymnastics, gymnastics has become favorite sports among Filipinos.

Olympians represent the country they come from. They serve as envoys or ambassadors of their favored sports. Somehow, the Olympics are occasions where participants gather to make friendship, connection and not just to win medals. Winning medals would be just the icing of the cake, so they say.

Cities or nations are bidding to host the Olympics because they expect that Olympics help to promote tourism industry and their economy as well. As social media had become more popular, Olympians can attract more followers if they do very well in their favorite game. The Olympics is memorable and cherished.

Well, my favorite part of the Olympics is when Olympians prioritize their faith and testify of how Christ transformed their life. Have you come across one Olympian who posted in his social media account the passage in Romans 10:9?

⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

He also added, “There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that’s Christ living inside of me.” Another Olympian who set new world record said, “Records come and go, the glory of God is eternal. I no longer run for self-recognition but to reflect his perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace through faith, Jesus has given me everything.”

Listen: People around are observing us. Olympics or ordinary events are opportunities of testing for our faith in Christ and testify of him as Lord of our life. All Christians are envoys and ambassadors of Christ to the lost world. We have to actively participate in bringing spiritual healing to potential believers.

1.  Healing

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

A messenger, envoy or ambassador represents someone else. If wicked messengers do not perform according to the expectation of their senders and do not represent their senders properly, they bring trouble to themselves. They will be terminated from their job, and there could be possible legal consequences.

As Christians, we are also messengers, envoys or ambassadors of Christ. We represent Christ to the world. When Christ instructed us to testify about him, does he trust us to bring spiritual healing to anyone who is need of a Savior? Do you agree that the Lord had already prepared potential believers of Christ?

When we do our part responsibly and deliver the message of salvation to potential believers, we are Christ’s ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 states,

¹⁷If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassador.

In our old self, we prioritize the self. The new person in us prioritizes the Lord. As ambassador of the message of reconciliation, we encourage potential believers to be reconciled to God also through faith in Jesus Christ. Before we have new life by faith Christ as Lord and Savior, we’re spiritually dead actually. Together, let us reflect on what it declares in Ephesians 2:1-5, ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Again, when with words and action we testify about our faith in Christ, it affirms us more confidently that we are now saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Prayerfully, we have to seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for us to be always aware that we are now messengers, ambassadors and envoys of the message of reconciliation. We have to be watchful of opportunities that God brings to our attention. Relatives, friends, acquaintances may randomly visit us for whatever reason; but take that as divine opportunity to testify of Christ.

Be expectant that our faithful God readily honors his faithful ambassadors.

2.  Honor

¹⁸Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Most often, the term “discipline” is interpreted as rigid strict training. Many Olympians would testify of strict regimen in their training. Training for Olympics is a lifestyle and not just one time or seasonal. Many Olympians keep on training after they attained their goals. Training for Olympics is beneficial also to health, so it’s very advisable to continue training for life even after Olympic days.

How do we explain “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame?” Beginners or experts can commit mistake. Correction is necessary to make things right. This is when training or discipline becomes more essential.

Discipline isn’t reserved only for physical training. It requires discipline in studies.

Any kind of work requires training, and discipline should not be ignored.

Whoever does not want to be trained should not expect progress, right?

Anyone who heeds correction or willing to learn should be willing to be trained and corrected. Rewards are given as recognition of dedicated efforts.

Awarding Ceremony

During awarding ceremony in the Olympics, the national anthem is played and the flag is raised before medals are given to winners. One Olympian cried when their national anthem was played. The Olympian remembered that their country become blessing to them in many favorable ways. When that particular Olympian had great needs, their country did favorable help that any person may always cherish. Sadly, many individuals disrespected their national anthem.

Personally together, let us reflect on what it admonished us in Titus 3:1-5,

¹Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, ²to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. ³At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. 

We continue to gather even during midweek worship service to keep on reminding ourselves of the love of God for us and to continue growing spiritually. If someone claims to be spiritually mature but doesn’t want to learn more about God, that person had been deceived. And worst, such person may not have faith. The Holy Spirit inspires Christians to grow spiritually in increasing measure.

Seriously reflect on what Apostle Paul testified in Philippians 3:10-14,

¹⁰I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. ¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Our goal as Christians is to win the prize from God. Christians are envoys, messengers and ambassadors of the message of reconciliation. As training for spiritual growth, we aspire and use all possible means to rely more dependently upon the Lord and less independent on our efforts. As we grow more in our dependence on Christ, the more we grow mature spiritually. So pray for stronger faith, wisdom and dependence on the Holy Spirit of God. To God be the glory!

><((‘> .. ><((/> … ><(((“> tmef\2024 <“)))>< … <‘))>< .. <‘))><