Ambassadors for Christ

Disciplined Living

Another great principle in the outreach of the ministry of reconciliation is disciplined living. Most people are so undisciplined they never live—they merely exist. Living comes in discipline. That’s why the word “disciple,” a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, means “a disciplined one.” There is no Living—with a capital L—in abundance until you get that discipline. No one can force it on you. You, by your own choice, discipline your life out of love for God and others. That self-discipline is fantastic, and that’s what being an ambassador is all about.

The ambassador has the joy of serving. They learn to serve. They learn to receive by giving, because all the laws of receiving are contingent upon the laws of giving. For example, if I want to receive strength in this arm, I don’t let it hang and say to it, ‘‘Arm, get strong.’’ If I want strength in this arm, I give. I give, I give—and as I give by exercising it; and I build up all the muscles. The laws of life are like that. To be an ambassador you have to be giving in order to be receiving, and you have to enjoy working and serving, and you have to have the discipline that goes with it if you’re going to succeed.