If I’m Breathing, God Has a Purpose For Me

In Ephesians 2:10, it says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT)

I am God's masterpiece, his workmanship. My salvation is something only God can do. It is his powerful, creative work in me. If God considers me a masterpiece, I dare not treat myself or others with disrespect or as inferior work. 

God didn’t create anything without a purpose. Because I’m breathing, I have a purpose. In Christ, I have something to offer the world.

When God made me, he wired me in a certain way and uniquely shaped me for a contribution. Nobody has been me in the past or will be me in the future. God doesn’t create clones or copies. Even identical twins are different.

My thumbprint, voice, footprint, heartbeat, and eyes are unique. I’m not one in a million. I’m one in trillions. God custom-made me. And he wants me to be me.

I may have heard all my life, “Why can’t you be more like [fill in the blank]]?” But if God hadn’t wanted me to be me, then I wouldn’t exist.

And yet, I could be spending my life trying to be somebody I’m not. When I do that, I miss my whole purpose.

God did not make me and put me here on this planet just to breathe air, take up space, and die. I’m here because there’s a contribution that only I can make.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).

I am God’s masterpiece. Before I was born, God planned the good things he wanted me to do with my life. In other words, he gave me a ministry.

Everybody has a ministry. I can find my ministry by looking at how God shaped me. He gave me unique spiritual gifts, abilities, and experiences to help others.

When I see how I’m shaped and use that shape to bless others, then I’ll find my ministry. And I will find my purpose.

In summary, I am God’s masterpiece. He has created me and made me new in Christ Jesus, so that I can do the good things he planned for me to do long ago. Given this, I dare not treat myself or others with disrespect or as inferior work. Because I’m breathing, I have a purpose. In Christ, I have something to offer the world. God wired me in a certain way and uniquely shaped me for a contribution. God doesn’t create clones or copies. God custom-made me. And therefore he wants me to be me. I could be spending my life trying to be somebody I’m not. When I do that, I miss my whole purpose. I’m here because there’s a contribution that only I can make. Before I was born, God planned the good things he wanted me to do with my life. He gave me a ministry. I can discover my ministry by looking at how God shaped me. He gave me unique spiritual gifts, abilities, and experiences to help others. When I see how I’m shaped and use that shape to bless others, then I’ll find my ministry and my purpose.

Father it seems with the restrictions now from Covid-19, it's not so easy to exercise my gifts. I pray Father, with the help of the Holy Spirit that I find ways that I can serve and fulfill my ministry. Help me to hear your promptings and to step out in faith. I pray also for my future job, that I can be one where I can use my skills and talents to serve. I also ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I pray for in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.

Learning to Serve God and Others

In review of 1 Peter 2:5 I read, “Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.” (GNT)

What are the "spiritual sacrifices" I offer to God. Obedience from my heart is most important. God wants me, his "holy priest" to offer myself as a living and spiritual sacrifice, daily laying aside my own desires and following him, putting all of my energy and resources at his disposal, and trusting him to guide me.

In the Old Testament, priests did two things:

1. They had the right, privilege, and responsibility to go directly to God. They could pray and talk to God, worship, and fellowship with God. Everybody else had to go through a priest.

2. The priest had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and ministering to the needs of other people (serving).

Those are the very two things that are true of me when I become a believer.

The Bible says that when Jesus died on the cross, there was a veil in the temple that separated the Holy of Holies, where God’s Spirit was, from where man was. Only priests could go behind that veil once a year. When Jesus died on the cross, God ripped that veil—about 70 feet—from top to bottom, symbolizing that there no longer was a barrier.

I now have direct access to God. I don’t have to pray through anybody else. I don’t have to confess through anybody else. I don’t have to fellowship with God through anybody else. Read my Bible, talk with the Lord, and fellowship directly with him.

I have also been gifted for ministry to serve others. Every Christian is a minister, not a pastor, but a minister. Anytime I use my talents and gifts to help others, I’m ministering.

The Bible says, “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT).

One of the reasons God saved me is so that I could serve him and others.

To know what my ministry is, look at my talents, gifts, and abilities. When I use those talents and gifts to help others, that’s called ministry, nothing fancy or scary about it. It’s just helping others.

No matter what my work is, anytime I’m helping others in God’s name, I’m ministering.

In summary, I am to be a living stone, used to help build the spiritual temple, where I’ll serve as a holy priest to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God, through Jesus Christ. The "spiritual sacrifices" I offer to God is Obedience from my heart. I am to offer myself daily, laying aside my own desires and following him. I am to put all of my energy and resources at his disposal, and trust in him to guide me. In the Old Testament, priests did two things: They had the right, privilege, and responsibility to go directly to God. They could pray and talk to God, worship, and fellowship with God. Everybody else had to go through a priest. They had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and ministering to the needs of other people (serving). Those two things that are true of me when I become a believer. When Jesus died on the cross, God ripped that veil in the temple from top to bottom, symbolizing that there no longer was a barrier. I have been gifted for ministry to serve others. I am to use my talents and gifts to help others (minster). God saved me so that I could serve him and others. To better understand and know what my ministry is, I need to look at my talents, gifts, and abilities. When I use those talents and gifts to help others, that’s called ministry. 

My life is to be centered around serving God and helping others.Today, I’d like to consider what my talents, gifts and abilities are. If I properly identify these, I’ll know much more about what type of job I should pray for as well as just serving where I am. I ask you Father for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Also help to guide me in additional training I need and the type of job I should look for next. I pray these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.

Learning That Every Christian Is a Minister

In review of 1 Peter 2:5 it says, “You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood”

Bottom Line:

You come to him as a living stone, part of a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.

What this means to me:

I come to him as a living stone, that is being used to build his spiritual house. In this, I will serve as one of his holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ, offer sacrifices that please God the Father.

Today's verse also comes from 1 Peter chapter 2, where Peter was telling us about becoming living stones for God's house. Peter explained that Christ himself was the living cornerstone of God's temple, rejected by people, but chosen by God for such a great honor. As disciples of Christ we are like living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. Part of this is to be his holy priests who point others to him. For the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone and the stone that makes people stumble and fall (because they do not obey God's word.) For this, they will end up meeting the fate that was planned for them. But we are not like this, for we are chosen, royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. In it, we show others the goodness of God, for he called us out of the darkness into his wonderful life. For once we had no identity and mercy as a people, now we are God's people and we received his mercy. So we are warned as "temporary residents and foreigners" of this world to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against our very souls. We are to be careful how we live among our unbelieving neighbors. Then even if we are accused of doing wrong, they will see our honorable behavior, and give honor to God when he judges the world.

God is telling me in this verse that I am a priest. But what does this really mean?  Peter is telling me that the two benefits that priests of the old testament times had are now available to everyone who is a believer. In the Old Testament, priests did two things:

1). They had the right, privilege, and responsibility to go directly to God. They could pray and talk to God, worship, and fellowship with God. Everybody else had to go through a priest.

2). The priest had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and ministering to the needs of other people (serving).

Those are the very two things that became true of me when I became a believer and disciple of Christ.

I now have direct access to God. I don’t have to pray through anybody else. I don’t have to confess through anybody else. I don’t have to fellowship with God through anybody else. I can read my Bible, talk with the Lord, and fellowship directly with him.

The Bible says that when Jesus died on the cross, there was a veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies, where God’s Spirit was, from where man was. Only priests could go behind that veil once a year. When Jesus died on the cross, God ripped that veil — about 70 feet — from top to bottom, symbolizing that there is no longer a barrier.

I have also been gifted for ministry to serve others. Every Christian is a minister, not a pastor, but a minister. Any time I use my talents and gifts to help others, I am ministering.

“It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9a TLB). Why did God save me? So that I could serve him. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction.

To know what my ministry is, I just need to look at my talents, gifts, and abilities. When I use those talents and gifts to help others, that’s called ministry, nothing fancy or scary about it. It’s just helping others. Any time I’m helping others in God’s name, I’m ministering.

Today’s passage re-affirms some thoughts I already had about serving in some upcoming things being offered by my church. I will look to solidify those opportunities over the next few days.

God Created Me To Serve

In summary of 2 Timothy 1:9 it says, “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

Bottom Line:

God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

What this means to me:

God is the one who saved me from the ultimate punishment of my sin.  He calls me to be one of his own people, with a life set apart for his purpose.  He did this, not because of something I did, or anything I would even deserve.  From the beginning this was all part of his plan and purpose.  He shows me grace through Christ.  In this grace I was saved, and as such, I have been gifted for ministry; to serve others. My ministry will use all of my talents, gifts, and abilities. God wants me to use those to help others. Every time I do, I’ll be doing ministry.  Ministry is really nothing fancy, scary, or supernatural. It's just helping others. Furthermore, my ministry is necessary in the church. I’m a part of this family. If I don't use my talents, I end up cheat others.  Likewise, when others don’t use their talents they cheat the congregation and myself.  Anytime I use my talents and gifts in the name of Jesus to help others, I’m ministering.  In summary, I need to use what God has equipped me with to help and serve others (this is what he created me for.)  When I do, I’m fulfilling his will for me.  If I refuse to use my talents or serve, I’m in essence cheating others and not living out God’s will.