Created to Do Good Works
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I don’t know about you, but I could use some accountability in my personal Bible study time. So, I thought I’d start sharing with y’all some thoughts and reflections from what I’m studying. Wednesday seemed like as good a day as any.
I’m studying scripture using the SOAP method, an idea from Amy at Mom’s Toolbox. The thoughts I share here will be those that I have written down in my Bible study journal. I may doctor them up a bit for the blog post as a manner of solidifying my own thoughts, or they may be typed out here just exactly as they are in my journal.
Whichever method I choose – and it may vary from week to week – these will just be my personal thoughts. They aren’t meant to be a form of teaching, just what I’ve got rolling around in my head.
I wondered if this might be something others might be interested in doing – kind of an online Bible study group, but with everyone just doing their own personal studies, sharing your thoughts on your blog and linking up so that we can learn from each other.
If there is enough interest, I’d be glad to host the link-up. We could even decide to do something more structured in the future – perhaps doing an actual Bible study book together. Just let me know, in the comments, what you think.
One of my studies that really stood out to me this week was the reading of Ephesians 2-3.
Scripture: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10
Observation: This verse says that God created us to do good works. It doesn’t say that He created us so that we might do good works or that He created some of us to do good works. It says we were created to do good works.
It goes on to say that these works were prepared in advance for us to do. It doesn’t say that they were created for someone else to do or some of us to do, or for pastors and teachers to do. It says that they were created for us – those of us saved by grace – to do. That means of each of us. That means me.
Paul goes on to say, in chapter 3, verse 20, “…according to the power that is at work within us.” Christ’s power is at work in all of us who have accepted Him as Savior. He’s not expecting us to do good works through our own strength and power, but through His, which is at work in all of His people who have been saved by grace.
Application: I need to be doing the work of Christ – whatever work it is that He has created me to do because He has created me to do it.
Maybe I’m already doing it, but perhaps I’m not doing it to the standard of Christ because I haven’t acknowledged that it’s His work and I’m not calling on His strength to do it. Perhaps I’m not doing His work because I haven’t sought His will to know what that work is.
I need to pray and seek His will to know what good works it is that I was created to do and then to them to God’s glory through Christ’s strength. If I don’t, I’m not living up to the full potential for which I was created. God placed me where I am today, in this moment and time, for a specific purpose (Acts 17:26). I need to live out what I was called to do.
Prayer: Father God, reveal Your truth to me. Show me the good works that You have prepared in advance for me to do. Help me to acknowledge them and call on Your strength that is at work in me to do these good works to Your glory. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
What has God been showing you, lately?
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
What a great idea!
Kris ~ I like your idea! If I *had* a blog, I'd be in. 🙂
Here's a quote I just discovered that kind of goes along with your 'mullings' from Ephesians.
"Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an
affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was
insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter,
Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short,
Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead….
God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the CALLED!"I guess the things we might feel disqualify us from those 'good works' in Ephesians really aren't part of the picture at all. He calls – we say 'yes'. It really is that simple.
Great thoughts!
I'd be interested in Doing a link up.
Keep up the good works, Kris! It's what we are on the Earth to do. He already has it all mapped out for us, we just have to keep our eyes on Him and walk it out. Thanks for sharing :).
I love your blog!
I was just commenting on another blog that I have learned to focus on doing what I do because I love it. Really, what I meant was what you have said. God gave me these gifts and interests, and my purpose is to serve and honor him. I think our culture gets too wrapped up in working for money. It can take all the joy out of creating and serving!