This week the Good Morning Girls studied Ephesians 2:1-10,
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the poser of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children on wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would wlk in them." (NASB)
These verses show a contrast of our life before and after salvation. I see the main difference to be living for yourself (indulging in desires of the flesh), and living beyond yourself (taking advantage of the opportunities for good works that God prepared specifically for you).
On the last day of my study this week I read verse 10 which says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." This verse brought up a few questions for me and made me uncomfortable at first until I discussed it with my wise husband who helped give me some perspective. My first thought was that it seems that we are created for specific good works (as opposed to general do-gooding) based on the fact that God prepared these works beforehand. So then I felt uncomfortable wondering, "Are the good things we choose to do not a part of our free will? But rather, since they are planned beforehand, we will do them regardless of our intentional choice to follow God?" You can see why that might be somewhat frustrating to me. I spend lots of time and energy being intentional in my pursuit of God and His will, so to think that it doesn't really matter because He's already got a plan for me that will unfold regardless of my choices and efforts, was frustrating. (I do realize that train of thought is somewhat immature- I mean He is God and He can do whatever He wants to do and just because doing the right thing doesn't 'make a difference' doesn't mean I shouldn't do it- but it is how I honestly felt.) So, I asked my husband what he made of the verse and he suggested that God prepared the opportunity for good works beforehand, but that it is still our choice whether or not we follow Him and take advantage of those opportunities that have been prepared specifically for us. Based on what I know about how God relates to us throughout the rest of Scripture, hubby's interpretation seems to make the most sense.
This week I have been reflecting on where I came from (my pre-salvation self), and all that God has done for me out of "His great love" for me, and I have been humbled and filled with gratitude for my merciful, gracious, loving God. Verse 10 was the perfect ending to my study this week. Now when I think about it, I am so excited to know that God created specific opportunities just for me to do good works!
If you read my blog at all, you might have noticed that I have been floundering a bit this past year since becoming a stay-at-home mom. I am trying to find my niche, some skill or passion that God has blessed me with that I can use to bless others. Pre-mommihood I knew what my niche was, it was teaching secondary math. I loved sharing knowledge with students and interacting with them on a personal level. I felt like I was making a difference and felt like (after multiple degrees) I had finally found the career God had made for me specifically. Then my sweet little baby arrived and everything changed. I had a bit of an identity crisis, and even though I have now found my identity secure in Christ, I am still searching for my niche. I finished grad school (which who knows if I'll ever use...), I've run a couple half marathons, I'm currently pursuing a fitness instructor certification, I got really into vegan eating and cooking, I started actually writting on this blog I've had for years, I learned to sew, I learned to operate our DSLR camera and have been learning about photography and photo editing, etc, etc. There are so many things I am interested in, but I don't have a clear direction. Ephesians 2:10 is so incredibly comforting and exciting to me at this time in my life. God has already prepared opportunities for good works that were created specifically for me! I just need to be on the look-out for those opportunities and continually allow Him to refine my character so that I am prepared to make the most of the opportunities He presents me.
I hope it makes you excited too knowing that God has planned specific good works for you! I know I am excited to see what He is going to do through you!
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