Take a look at the following verses:
Psalm 139: 13-16 from The Message
"You formed me in my mother's womb. Body and soul I am marvelously made!...You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."
Ephesians 2:7-10 from The Message
"God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd one the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing."
Today I enjoyed reading these verses in The Message for a little different flair. Like a good friend encouraging me in Truth, The Message tells me...like it is! There are important basic Biblical Truths here that I need to:
- Recognize as Truth
- Remember Daily
- Respond To
- Rely On
- He knows exactly How I was made
- He knows each stage of my life
- Because I was made by Him, and for His prepared purpose--God has equipped me with what I will need to fulfill His plan for me as an individual. Things like, gifting, strength, personality, life experience, and life failures that can be turned into encouragement for others.
- He has gone before and prepared my days
- God has me where he wants me
- I am not the major role, or the major player here--He is
- I don't make myself
- God does the making
- He has created me to join Him in His work
- He has planned good works for me to walk in
The world we live in says we are to find ourself and make ourself. It is accepted to become self-made women who follow our own dreams. When we as believers in Christ, and the Gospel, follow this path, we are following the ways of the world and not the way of God's Word. Ouch!
If we believe God's Word is Truth then we must realize that God has already equipped us, and he already has plans for us to be fruitful and purposeful. Will we say YES to following Him?
How have you been equipped?
Sometimes we have lived pleasing people for so long that we no longer know who we are. There are some resources that are not only fun, but they help us SEE the way God wired us and put us together as individuals. My favorite is the Strength Finders Test ( www.strengthfinders.com)
I also enjoy the personality profile testing of Wired That Way, by Marita and Florence Littauer
( www.classservices.com) And, most churches has access to spiritual gift testing.
These tests do not replace joining God where he is at work. They just help us understand more of who He has made us to be from the beginning. I especially found out many enlightening things about myself and my service to God through Strength Finders. I found that I have strengths that I can now understand and committ to God for His use.
But remember...we don't make ourselves, He makes us. With this truth in our hearts, there is no need for competition, for all have been created for God's reasons. We can rest, accepting ourselves and others, and move into the business of serving Christ and joining Him in Kingdom Stuff...That is WILD!
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1 comment:
Oh man...reading your words, now I really miss you! It feels like I'm sitting in on a bible study! I will plug you on my blog and add you to my favorites!
I'm so glad you are starting a blog! Love, Lorri
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