For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Eph 2:10 (NIV)
I thank Beth for day 4 of this week’s study. God used her teachable spirit to teach me a couple of things I wasn’t aware of. Or I had forgotten and His gentle, good Spirit reminded me that kindness and goodness go hand-in-hand or as Beth puts it: “The qualities of kindness and goodness differ in their employment in the believer but they ‘pair up’ to make us both shrewd and innocent.”
As some of you know, I am working again in the “world”. After 6 years working in a ‘protected’ environment at a church, going back out in the ‘real world’ (as my Sweetheart likes to refer to), has been really hard for me. Not that I don’t like it – I had asked God that He will use me again to be a witness to His grace and love toward all man. But it is a huge ‘adjustment’. It is a tough world out there, and the language – oh my…
God has saved us from eternal damnation to 1) spend eternity with Him and 2) to do GOOD works. As you noticed, He first saved us because of His love for us, His kindness (chrestotes), His grace to do good works, not the other way around. Beth puts it much more eloquent that I could ever do: “He’s driving home this crucial point: we have not been saved by our works – we have been saved for His works!” (emphasis mine).
So why did I bring up my new job? Because here I have the chance to let His kindness and light shine through me; I am His vessel. I have to let Him lead me to do good (being shrewd as a snake), and do it with kindness. Not easy, I tell you! But you know what? I don’t want to just ‘look attractive on Sundays’. I want to show the world that there is a better life after salvation and not a ‘restricted’ life. It hurts me when people are bitter, because life is not ‘going’ their way. When life doesn’t ‘treat’ them right. No, I am not saying that ‘life is going my way’ all the time, but I do have His strength to see me through. What better gift to pass on to a hurting world? There is none! Everything else is just a temporary ‘fix’.
So, here I am taking to heart His commission for the next several weeks (and I am glad to be His hands and feet :smile:):
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.~ Matthew 10:16 (NIV)
Living in His grace (and really trying to life beyond myself with His help) ~ Eph2810 🙂
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| Addie | Heather* | Carol |
| M | Rach | Jeana |
| Jenn | Amanda | MamaB |
| GiBee | Boomama | Maria |
| Blair | Heather | Nancy |
| Janna | Flipflop | Robin |
| Sherry | Patricia | Tara |
| Lauren | HolyMama! | Faith |
| Christy | Eph2810 | Karin |
| Leann | Rachel | Janice |
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This is a list of the women participating in the study and the links to their blogs. New postings on the study will be published for the next ten weeks, between Friday 8pm – Saturday 8am. Please feel free to visit each of us and comment. Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion as we seek to live beyond ourselves. May God bless you richly from the hearing of His Word. |
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You have a real opportunity to be salt and light, don’t you? I can only imagine the shock to your system, though, especially if you’ve been in a protected environment for so long. But it sounds like this new job is going to be a real mission field for you – you have an opportunity to do exactly what Beth talked about this week. How cool is that? I’ll be praying for you.
“Because here I have the chance to let His kindness and light shine through me; I am His vessel.” – that is so the right attitude!!! We need to remember to approach our lives like that. To be “in the world not of the world.”
You will have wonderful, divinely appointed opportunities for witness and good works because you are asking and offering yourself up for them. good for you.
We need Christians out there in the “real world” rubbing shoulders and sharing burdens with those who have not yet met Christ. How else will they find Him if we don’t show Him?
What a novel idea – online Bible Study….
You are right, our intersections with the ‘world’ do give us new appreciation of what we have escaped.
I think it is awesome that God has placed you where He can use you mightily for His Kingdom and that we are going through this study together that He might encourage you in the work you are doing for His glory! I hope you are having a blessed Mothers Day! Love ~ Patricia
YESYESYES! You are EXACTLY the type of person I meet in my day-to-day wanderings in the real world, the person I look to for inspiration. I am one of those Happy Christians who still has quite a few rough edges that are in need of wearing down. One of the rough edges is my language. While I am better than I was in the past, through God’s continual renewing of my heart, I still slip up quite a bit. But when I’m around Spirit-filled folks such as yourself, energized and recharged after time in a great environment (your years at your church job), I more readily search for and find God’s strength to become the person He wants me to be.
You ARE a vessel. And I am thankful for people such as yourself. 😉
Great post Iris! I can’t wait to do week seven…I’m so behind 🙁
Our Ladies group has just finished the LYB study, it was so awesome!! I learned so much. It was amazing to me how often our Pastor’s sermon would be about the same thing we were studying. God has perfect timing. We are going to do the Believing GOD study next, can’t wait
ON YA!!!!