I love this truth! This verse in Ephesians has always encouraged me by reminding me that our Creator has a glorious ability to plan ahead…
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
YOU ARE GOD’S HANDIWORK
Notice whose handiwork you are. Your life is not your project. Your life is God’s project. Only God knows what your life is supposed to look like. It will take you simply being
generous and serving. To go beyond yourself and serve others. Every so often, you do something in the Ephesians 2:10 category, and when that happens you get a glimpse
of who God made you to be. Remember, your good that you do isn’t what saves you, it is that you are saved to do the good actions.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
You do something and...you get a glimpse of why God made you, what God was up to in your life, because God wants you to reach your full potential in His plan for you.
God is more concerned about this than you will ever be, and He is guiding that process all the time, and has many, many tools available and He’s not in a hurry. He is very
patient and He’ll never give up.
YOU ARE SENT OUT OF YOURSELF
Lessons in serving others:
(1) All works by grace are good works. All work done unto the Lord, big and small, is good work. God has things for you to do. Your purpose, your life, your value are all
empowered by the grace of God.
(2) You need to discover the good works God has for you. Do that by asking God: What are the things you want me to do and how do I do them?
(3) God does not need your work, but other people do. God doesn’t need 50 school uniforms, but the homeless kids at Jane Long Elementary do. God doesn’t need prayer
notes, cookies, flowers, but the teachers in our city do. God doesn’t need groceries but the single mom does.
THE “WHY” OF GENEROUS SERVING
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” Matthew. 20:26 (NIV)
The greatest are those who serve the most. We don’t serve so God will love us, but because He has already loved us. We don’t serve so God would be pleased with us, but
because in Christ He already is. And that frees us to love and serve people by the grace of God.
Because of our salvation through Jesus, we are enabled to serve others. God in His perfect purpose, has an amazing list of things coming up for you in your life. I wonder
what your list might look like?
Think about the trajectory that the Holy Spirit could have if you let Him guide you–if you really, truly let the Spirit take over your life and change you for the better: Day by
