A Plan for Life

Ephesians 2:8-10 God saved you by his grace when you believed. […] He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 This section of the Bible, in Ephesians, has captured my attention. Somehow it seemed to be crucial to understanding my complicated life, understanding this deep-seated desire for finding what was missing or maybe just wrong. Most people said that the first three words were the crux—“God saved you.” I thought that phrase was the miracle I could count on, and I can, but then I discovered another three word phrase which I had skipped over—“when you believed.”

 There’s that word again, “believe.” What does it really mean? How does it impact my life? Then I found a three-point description of what God has done, and is doing, to make my life meaningful.

  A complete Christian life involves three things.

 First, there is the work God does for us: salvation. Jesus Christ completed this work on the cross. If we trust Him, He will save us.

Second, there is the work God does in us: sanctification. God builds our character and we become more like Jesus Christ.

Third, is what God does through us: service. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

God builds character before He calls to service. He must work in us before He can work through us. God spent twenty-five years working in Abraham before He could give him his promised son. God worked thirteen years in Joseph's life, putting him into "various testings" before He could put him on the throne of Egypt. He spent eighty years preparing Moses for forty years of service. Our Lord took three years training His disciples, building their character.

But God cannot work in us without our consent. There must be a surrendered will. The mature person does not argue with God's will; instead, he accepts it willingly and obeys it joyfully. "Doing the will of God from the heart" (Ephesians 6:6). If we try to go through trials without surrendered wills, we will end up more like immature children than mature adults.

This is our Father’s world, created for us and given to us for stewardship. You are uniquely made to fulfill a crucial part in that role. You have been given specific gifts to allow successful completion of your role to “do the good things he planned for us long ago.” I pray that you will hear the words I long to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Amy Grant sings it for you.