1 Peter 5:2-4 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

As a believer, there have been times where I’ve been an unfaithful witness for the Lord. I’ve allowed my flesh to take the place of the Spirit in guiding my words and actions. I have been unkind and uncompassionate towards others for different reasons. As I read and study the Word of God more and more, the Lord has convicted me in these areas. He has showed and spoken to me through His Word that I’m a representative of Him and my behavior needs to reflect the heart of my Savior. If I want to be a faithful witness for Christ, I need to put off and completely abandon the old nature (my flesh) while embracing, pursuing, and clothing myself with the new nature (the Spirit of God).

Ephesians 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

The Lord has also revealed to me that other people are watching. If I’m not being a good representative of Him, my actions could hinder people from coming to know Christ or I can cause other sheep (believers) to stumble.

The Lord wants you and I to be faithful witnesses for Him. We must realize that we are not capable of doing this on our own. We need to rely and depend solely on the Lord and His strength to become good examples of His flock while allowing Him to transform us into His image. I love what the verse says in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. God will be faithful to complete what He has started in each one of us.

It will be challenging at times to be a faithful ambassador for Christ considering the world we live in. Please keep in mind, “You need the Lord, His Word, His strength, and the empowering of His Holy Spirit to live and pursue a life of faithfulness.” John 15:5 says, “I (Jesus) am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:13 by saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

1 Timothy 4:12b But be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.