Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
While I was in Korea I was given a gift, a tailor made suit and white shirt. This is the first time I have ever received a gift that was tailor made just for me. When I purchase suits for myself, I get them off the shelf at a department store, and they basically fit me, but they are not made just for me.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
It says we are His workmanship. Like that suit, God has created each one of us uniquely and has unique plans and purposes for our lives. Although we all have things in common there are some things about us that are unique to us. God does have tailor made plans for each of us, however God desires us to participate in the outworking of the plans.
I chose the color and style of the suit and shirt, but the tailor made it. We are living in the wide-open spaces of grace (Rom. 5:1-2 Msg.). That is why it says good works; there are a variety of works and assignments along with different ways to accomplish them. Grace is diverse and flowing (1 Peter 4:10), but religion is rigid and one size fits all.
I look at Ephesians 2:10 as the résumé verse. A résumé is a brief account of your educational and professional experience, written as a summary of things achieved. Although we have yet to walk out these achievements on earth they have already been completed in heaven. Let’s make sure we understand it did not say God prepared that we should work them out, but we are to walk in them.
The suit is in my closet right now waiting on me to put it on and walk around in it. Without me, the suit does nothing. These good works are like the suit, waiting in heaven for us to make them a reality on earth. God has created something to help us with this; it is the hope of His calling (Eph. 1:18). A calling is the voice of God tugging on your heart to walk in who He created you to be and fulfill your purposes.
We are encouraged to walk worthy of the calling with which we are called (Eph. 4:1). Our calling is powerful, dynamic and ongoing and it continually tugs on our hearts to go forward, propelling us into the next thing God has for us. That is why Paul used the term walk; calling is not a static position. Our calling causes us to grow, to seek and to reach outside of ourselves. Following the call is what a life of faith (Heb. 11:8) and grace (1 Cor. 15:10) is about. Just remember we do not pursue the calling to become something or someone, we pursue the call because of who we are already.
You may ask how do I discover this tailor made life and calling? This is the best part dear people, just delight yourself in the Lord as the Message Bible says, keep company with God, get in on the best life you were created to live (Ps.34:4 italics mine).
Many Blessings, BW