Would you want to be the President of the United States? Those who assume this office do so knowing they will become a spectacle to the world. Every word and every decision will be scrutinized. Even their family members will be targets for criticism. The schedule is taxing, and the responsibilities so grave, that stress causes each president to age prematurely. Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama are examples. Yet despite the toll of the office, many seek this position out of love for our country and willingness to serve.

Those who purposely serve the Lord also do so knowing they too will become a spectacle to the world. It has always been this way. God instructed the prophet Hosea to “…go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land [the nation of Israel] hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2). Everyone would know the heartache and scandal in the life of this servant of God. The Lord instructed Isaiah to disrobe, “And he did so, walking naked and barefoot… three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia” (Isaiah 20:2-3). As embarrassing as it was, no one who saw this prophet of God could miss his message from the Lord. Similarly, the Apostle Paul described his life by saying, “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last…for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (I Corinthians 4:9). The apostles were willing to look like “fools,” be “weak” (vs. 10), to “hunger” (vs. 11), to be “reviled” (vs. 12) and “defamed” (vs. 13), for the cause of Christ. We should not think that putting themselves in these positions was any easier than it would be for us. But these men of God willingly embraced their scrutiny, criticism, humiliation, and stress out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and a firm commitment to further His cause.

How about you? Are you willing to become a spectacle for Christ? The Apostle Paul told the believers at Corinth that they were an “…epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men” (II Corinthians 3:2). God has called every Christian to share the Gospel of Grace with lost souls and warn them about eternal punishment. Then we are to live a consistent godly life, knowing those we seek to reach will be watching us. We must not shrink from being a spectacle for Christ. We must willingly embrace it.