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)
God was thinking about us way before we were thinking about Him. He had a plan for all sorts of “good works” for us to do throughout our lives but to be a part of God’s plan we have to be faithful to His call. Being faithful to God’s call means we must deliberately decide to walk in the counsel of His Holy Spirit. Jesus had to do the same. Jesus had to discipline himself to take time to hear from God, He had to learn to trust Him and lean his entire being on God’s word so that He could do those things which God told Him to do. Jesus said in John 5:19 “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (NLT) Jesus had a vision of what God wanted to do in the earth and He carried it out to His fullest ability. What do you see God doing today? Do you see yourself ministering to the brokenhearted? Do you see yourself feeding the hungry? Do you see yourself praying for the sick? If you don’t see yourself doing these things in your world today, maybe you haven’t gotten a vision of what God wants to do through you. There are needs around us everywhere. People are suffering outside, and people are suffering inside from lack of provision to lack of confidence in who God created them to be. How many people do you know who see themselves the way God sees them? God says we are individually rare and priceless. He says we all have unique giftings and talents that were given to us before we were ever born. God wants us to be everything He created us to be so we can help others do the same.
When we walk by the Spirit, the Lord prepares us to do the work that He sets before us because our mind is not focused on ourselves and what we want, but on God and what He would desire for us to do. But God can only lead us when we submit to His guidance. Scripture tells us we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. If we are not walking with the Lord, it’s likely we might miss the opportunities He presents us with to share His love and be a blessing. When we are walking with Him, we are in the best place to hear His voice, and He always puts us in the right place at the right time to help. He even says He will provide the resources. In Proverbs 11:25 God tells us “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (NLT) God blesses us and we are to go out and be a blessing and then He blesses us for that! In Deuteronomy 28:6 God promises "You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” (NIV) Who wouldn't want to get in on God's cycle of blessings? That covenant promise is for those who walk in the truth of God's word and believe that they have been blessed to be a blessing. Those who are bold and confident enough to go out and do the will of God. We need to be thankful for Jesus’ example to us and also for the people around us who are walking with Him and doing His will. They inspire us to be better people. Just as God gives them the ability and desire to lay down their personal wills and lives to Him for the sake of others, He will do the same for you and me. Scripture teaches God bestows favor and honor and withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly with Him!
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. ~Psalm 84:11 (NIV)
Who inspires you to be a better person?
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