As you know, part of seeing God’s grace through the year 2023 is the my intense purpose of reading the Bible from beginning to end once again. This is not a chronological study, as I did several years ago. It’s very enlightening and I highly recommend it. This month I’ve been reading Genesis, Matthew, Proverbs, and Psalms each day, and in another class, I’m studying Revelation.
When God created man, Adam was perfect. In fact, he was made in God’s own image. I take that to mean he had a perfect DNA body, he had intelligence so that he could name all the animals, he had the ability to work and to rest, he could enjoy the beauty of the garden where he was placed, and he had free will to make decisions. It didn’t take long after the Fall, when Adam and Eve defied God’s order. They obtained the curses of difficulty in working against obstacles, pain in pregnancy and delivery of children and subjugation to one’s husband, and the pronouncement that, unlike the eternal God-Maker who made all things good, man faces death.
Only through Christ’s sacrifice can man redeem some of the original stature of creation. Yet, we are born through pain, we are, as babies, the inheritors of selfish sinfulness, completely self-centered and anything but innocent. Our minds conjure up deception. Read Laban’s and Rebecca’s stories. We defy God’s laws because we are sinful. Even on our best days, our actions and motivation make us filthy rags and open sepulchers, filled with the stink of death.
That is, until Christ redeems us when the Holy Spirit changes our lives around. Than God sees only Jesus’ redeeming power, and we become His workmanship. Once again, as in Genesis, God says, “It is good!” Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” I take that to mean that even though we are flawed masterpieces, we are ongoing projects for His glory, and He has appointed Godincidences for us. We only think these are chance encounters where we can deliver God’s grace and mercy to others. They are planned in advance so that we can be God’s messengers to a fallen world.
How do we accomplish God’s mission? We take time to pause in God’s presence by reading his word and spending quality time in prayer. We listen for His voice, his promptings. When we wake in the middle of the night and think about a person we know or love, or a story we’ve heard on the news, or our minds–even in our dreams–have a glimpse of a place or person, these are often promptings of the Holy Spirit. Pray for that person or situation.
Additionally, be part of a Bible-preaching church where worship is intentional and Christ-centered, where the preaching is Bible-based, not guided by “enjoying” feeling good or celebrating the music or the gorgeous building or the “prosperity gospel” or great activities, but rather one preaching the truths of the Scriptures, true heartfelt confession, missions, outreach, and fellowship of the saints. Each encounter should be a call to action or service to a hurting world.
Finally, God has gifted every one of His saints with talents and abilities He wants us to use for the Kingdom. Work was created for Adam to do. He was to tend the garden and rule over the animals and place where he lived. When God created man and woman, He provided them with individuality, even down to our inherent DNA and fingerprints. Each of us has a given purpose.
If you have not discovered yours, think about how you can share your unique personality for the good of the kingdom. It is making food for the hungry? Is it helping in an outreach program like soccer, arts and crafts, storytelling, with children? Is it providing companionship to lonely seniors? Is it writing, reading out loud to someone with limited sight? Is it writing letters for someone paralyzed? Is it rocking sick babies in NICU? Is it cleaning someone’s house or doing yardwork or handyman projects? Is it writing books, or composing music, or teaching others to find their gifts? How is God stretching you, prompting you to make your life meaningful, at whatever stages of life you are. Especially you seniors. Where can the world benefit from your wisdom and experience?
We are to deliver mercy to those who need mercy. We may not be able to restore one’s sight, or tell the paralytic to pick up his mat and walk like Jesus did in the book of Matthew,. For some, perhaps, through education and training, we could accomplish great things. If God puts an idea, the germ of a dream in our minds, He may have a specific purpose in mind for us. That’s how He speaks sometimes. Get the training, the education, the experience necessary, and then dedicate part of your day, or your entire life, to service of others.
It may take sacrifice. It may take complete changes in the directions of our lives. It may take hard work. But God will lead you to your purpose if we ask for His purpose. You’ve heard the motto: Bloom where you are planted. That’s the essence of it all.
God speaks in dreams sometimes. Right from the beginning of creation, God had man dream, probably because its one of the few times man is silent and can be reached by God’s spirit. What’s he saying to you, His masterpiece, today?
Not all the saints in the Bible were perfect. They did not have to “clean up their acts” or be paragons of virtue. There’s hope for each of us if we tell God we’re ready to serve. He’ll use us. David was a murderer. Jacob was a deceiver. Moses was flawed and did not see the promised land except from a distance. Sarah laughed at God, yet gave birth to nations in her old age.
We, too, are flawed masterpieces, but God can and does do mighty things through broken cisterns. He sends us on mission to touch hearts and lives for Him and to give all the glory to the Lord of the universe who saved us through Jesus Christ to do mighty things in His Name.
Are you on mission?
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