Fix Your Face
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
I had just finished arguing with a 4th grade boy about being gentler and more careful with his brother and their little dog. He proceeded to bounce a nerf ball off his brother’s head and fast pitch the same ball at the dog. I had had it with the disrespect…no, wait, the disobedience. I told him to go in his play room and to give me the ball. At first, he would not hand over the ball, but he must have noticed my outstretched hand after about a ten second stare down and knew I was no longer a member of his fun club.
The look on his face was as hateful as a 9-year-old boy can make. When I told him, “Fix your face!” he said, “No!” and stomped off. As I passed the glass doors to the play room, I saw my own reflection. It was no better than his! My face was beet red; my scowl lines were deep and my jaw was firmly set into an ugly grimace.
Isn’t it strange how a Bible verse can pop into our heads when we least expect it? I was not being a good ambassador for Christ to this young man. I literally started laughing and talking to myself. “What would a seasoned follower of Christ do now? Surely it was not what I had just done!
How important is it to win an argument? Is it a hill to die on? Can you go to sleep at night knowing that the child or younger believer is exactly that—a mere child who has not experienced life and needs to be lovingly taught the value of good character? Again, I realized I am probably not an ambassador but rather a teacher who will never retire from that job.
Proverbs 11:17; “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.”
1 Peter 3:9; "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
Psalm 19:8; “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;’
We must wisely and lovingly act and remember to Whom we belong. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you what you are fighting for—not why you are fighting. Fix your face accordingly.
Father, I am eternally grateful for Your words of wisdom, comfort and direction. Thank You for making them real in my life. AMEN.