Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Ambassador of Hope. I’ve told my boss that’s what I want my job title to be. However, my actual title is Director of Strategic Partnerships, or creating partnerships for donor development and clinical marketing.
It’s the donor development that sparked the Ambassador of Hope idea. That piece of my job is connecting people with a passion for Green Hills Community or elder wellness to the needs and desires of those that live, visit and work at Green Hills.
I love to do that! It’s a win-win for everyone and includes hope, joy, and health. All the sparkle of life! And the world could certainly use some sparkle right now.
Since my boss hasn’t let me put Ambassador of Hope on my door yet, I want to alter what an Ambassador of Hope should be. What if every Christian could do something small that could literally change the world?
For several years now, I’ve watched different cars staying multiple weeks and even months in a small drive leading to our local radio station. The car changes, but the scene doesn’t. Blankets or towels cover the windows; you never actually see who’s in it. It may move a few feet from time to time but stays very close to the same spot; in a shady area off the drive a few feet. We have homeless shelters, but they are constantly full with a waiting list. What if our community had the funds to build more?
Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God
Years ago, a trip to the pharmacy broke my heart. I was waiting for my prescription to be filled when a young Dad came in and asked the cost of a prescription for his daughter. I watched his face fall as he heard the cost and said maybe he would come back later. I knew the only way he would come back was if someone paid for that medicine for him.
Our local United Way and hospital often partner to offer medicines to families in need. But, again, the funding is limited. While they help many, there are others that cut their meds in half to make them last longer, some have to choose between food and medication, and others still that go without. What if there was a fund that covered medicine for anyone that had a need?
Proverbs 21:26 All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.
There is a local family whose patriarch has been having cancer treatments. The entire county has rallied around them to ensure the cost doesn’t become another stress to the already reeling family. I’m so proud that I live in a community that supports others so eagerly.
But I know that there are other families facing similar circumstances that aren’t as well connected. So they face the stress of cancer and the stress of funding the necessary treatments. What if no family ever had to worry about the cost of illness for someone they love.
Deuteronomy 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.
What if every Christian tithed?
Using the theory that every member in our church tithed, and based on the median income in our county and the number of members in our church, I figured out that Gretna Brethren could buy a home and care for 3 or 4 families in that home. And that’s just one year. Another year we could continue to pay for those families and help countless other families get the medication that they need. And in another year, we could add a family that has an expensive illness.
What if every church in our county chose to tithe?
This is where I’ve adjusted the idea of an Ambassador of Hope to churches members and attenders that choose to tithe so that we, the Christian body of our community, can care for the world. I can’t think of a better way to show the world love than to give simply give out of our love of Jesus.
There are 98 churches in our county. What would our county look like if we all had 100% tithing from our members and attendees? How could we change lives and hearts?
What if we filled our entire county with Ambassadors of Hope? How would we change our little corner of life? How would we change the world?