Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 31, 2018
By Tripp Prince
For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10 (NRSV)
We spend so much of our lives struggling with big questions of identity and purpose. “What am I meant to do with my life?” “Where does God want me to invest my time and energy?” “With whom am I meant to do life together?” In some ways, these are questions that stay with us for decades, as life has a way of always changing and evolving, inviting us deeper and deeper into life with God and others. And yet, the Scriptures give us a window into what is meant to be steady and constant in our lives.
In Ephesians 2, Paul speaks to these questions of core identity, saying “we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Apart from Christ, we as human beings live in the shadows, living yet not truly alive. To be “created in Christ Jesus” is to be made people of substance. To borrow an image from C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce, it is to be made able to bend the blades of grass in God’s Kingdom. To be created in Christ is to live life to the fullest. It is to know the answers to the deepest questions of purpose and identity.
When we find our new life in Christ, we are set free to do the work he gives us to do, giving ourselves to what is good and true. It is participation in the rhythms of his Kingdom that he has always desired for his creation. It is a way of life prepared beforehand, the way of ultimate peace and goodness that we are invited to join him in living.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1 (NIV)!
Good works are meant to flow forth from a life that rests secure in the love of God. The love of God shown in Jesus Christ recreates us and makes us whole. It shows us the purpose for which he created us and sets us free to live good lives for the sake of others. And when we are anxious and fearful, it reminds us of our core identity, that we are known and loved by God, and in his kingdom we are kept safe and secure.
Prayer
Father, thank you that your love gives us life, recreating us and showing us how to live in alignment with your will. Amen.Application
What big questions of identity and purpose are you wrestling with today? How can you take a step towards trust in God’s love and care for you?Related Reading
Psalm 51:10; Isaiah 43:7; Galatians 6:15Post/Tweet today
Good works are meant to flow forth from a life that rests secure in the love of God. #WisdomHunters #wayoflifeWorship Resource
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