Representative

 I’m sure we’ve all yelled it into a cell phone or two at some point in our lives. “Representative!”, “Representative! No, I don’t want to go back to the main menu, or press star, or anything other than talk to a representative.”

Technology’s gotten better, so the program either detects the frustration in your voice, or the actual word being spoken, because a syrupy, indulgent voice comes on and assures you that you’ll be connected with a representative shortly.

From that point forward, depending on the representative, the situation either escalates or your issue is resolved in a timely fashion. Usually, it’s the former rather than the latter. Some companies are less than diligent when hiring their representatives. Those companies typically suffer in the long run because whenever anyone needs to talk to an actual human, it’s usually someone surly, disinterested, with a heavy accent, and put off by your very existence. In their view, the fact that you dared to ask for a representative deserves capital punishment, which should be carried out hastily and without delay. How dare anyone expect you to carry out the tasks you were hired for?

By definition, a representative is someone who represents the interests, purpose, goals, and values of the individual or company being represented. They do not represent themselves or their agenda but rather their master or employer. A faithful servant brings honor to his master. An unfaithful servant dishonor.

God is judicious in the representative He picks, not in that they’re all finely dressed, well-spoken, charming, eloquent, or even possess a full set of teeth. The criteria God employs when calling a representative is faithfulness. Will they be faithful to the uttermost? Will they sacrifice their comfort, reputation, position, and clout in order to bring glory to the King?

If someone is making it about themselves, then they weren’t sent. If someone is tirelessly trying to elevate their stature, make a name for themselves, and insist that they are the way rather than Christ, you already know what they are, and you shouldn’t even bother with them.

The key to Paul’s warning to the Ephesians was that after his departure, men would rise up from among the brethren to draw disciples unto themselves. Their purpose would not be to exalt the name of Christ but rather exalt themselves in His place. 

If someone who is supposed to represent Jesus never speaks the name of Jesus, then you know you’ve got a problem. Worse still, if someone who is supposed to represent Him speaks ill of Him and sows doubt as to His rightful place, authority, and sovereignty, they are at enmity with Him, pretending to be otherwise.

A few weeks back, having had no reason to dread my existence for some time, I decided to go through the Taco Bell drive-thru. Sometimes, if you can’t recall the pain vividly, you must reacquaint yourself with it to remember why you avoided certain things in the first place. I’d heard they were serving breakfast, and I thought I’d gamble with my digestive system since it was breakfast and not the other stuff that has you hoping for the sweet release of death in sixty minutes or less.

After hearing, “Welcome to Taco Bell, how may I help you?” and asking if they did serve breakfast since it wasn’t on the board, she explained that she hadn’t bothered to switch out the signs but that they indeed had the full breakfast menu.

Since I was curious and hadn’t heard any feedback, I asked her if the breakfast was any good, to which she replied, “Oh, Lord, no, I wouldn’t eat it, that’s for sure.”

I sat in my car for a second, stunned and unable to formulate a comeback, then asked, “If you wouldn’t eat it, why do you think I should?”

All I heard was static on the other end, and after realizing she wasn’t going to answer, I drove away.

I find it odd that the individuals endlessly preaching about sowing seeds don’t sow any themselves. Likewise, with individuals droning on about building the Kingdom of God, obsessed with building their own kingdoms at the expense of His.

Contrary to popular opinion, words are neither action nor violence. Saying something and doing something are two different things. When you do contrary to what you say, that’s an outright lie, and the fact that we’ve allowed it to go on in the church for as long as we have tells me that people are either disinterested or comfortable with being lied to.

If you are a child of God, you are His representative here on earth. Everything you say and do is being studied, archived, and judged because the enemy is looking for any opportunity to bring shame to the household of faith and cast a shadow on the people of God.

No one exists in a bubble, and every chance encounter is an opportunity to represent Jesus faithfully and in a manner that brings glory to Him.

Good and faithful servants are individually rewarded. It is not a collective endeavor. Just because your neighbor, wife, husband, son, daughter, pastor, or usher served with distinction does not mean you will share in their reward. He will give to each one according to their deeds.

Knowing this, the preeminent question at the forefront of our minds every morning ought not to be who the antichrist is, when the seals will be broken, or when the bowls will be poured out, but what we can do on that day, while we have breath, to bring glory and honor to the name of Christ Jesus.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.