You Were Created for Good Works

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10 NKJV).

Do you realize that you were created for good works in Christ Jesus? Not only were you created for good works, but God also prepared beforehand those good works in which you are to walk.

Now I am no longer a young man, and I have had my share of jobs over the years. One thing I have learned is that the Preacher was right when he wrote, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecc 1:14 NKJV). While there was some solace in providing for loved ones and having a sense of a job well done, I still felt like the Preacher at the end of the day, all was vanity. This, of course, was before my conversion.

Since then, even my secular jobs have had a sense of purpose. I want to please my Savior, and for the love of God and others, I want to spread the Gospel. Obviously, you don’t sin against your employer to share your faith. That is another topic, but don’t neglect your responsibilities. 

What I hope you will realize is that the work God has prepared for you is not meaningless. Irrespective of your occupation, you have good works God has prepared for you to do. Real joy is in finding and doing those works. 

When I say finding, I don’t mean whether you are to be a carpenter, a plumber, a financial advisor, or any number of jobs. I mean, finding ways to exercise your Spiritual gifts. And please don’t rush to take a spiritual gifts assessment. Those tests are too subjective. Instead, abide in the vine. Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (2Pe 1:5b-7 NKJV). If you do these things, your spiritual gifts will play out. God will use you to accomplish His will, and joy will fill your heart.

I think people too often minimize the importance of the role they play in God’s kingdom. God saved you for a reason. First, for His glory. Second, for your joy in doing good works. I leave you with these words. 

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God (Ecc 2:24-26a NKJV).