Created anew for good works

Written by Mantebeah Elizabeth Matilda Abena.

"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) Ephesians 2:10

Thinking of this month’s theme, I have been asking the question “what does it mean to be good”? Who is a good person and what action defines someone as good? I am sure you haven’t really given these a thought. In getting answers and gathering from experience, being good is often summed up in words such as morally right, upright, virtuous, righteous, etc. Simply put, someone is good because he/she does things that are approved of by the society or what is expected of him/her. And for that matter, doing good in today’s world is more equated to one’s financial ability.

For the Christian living in this world, we know God has called us to do good. It is one of the hallmarks of our high calling which is approved by God (2 Timothy 3:17) and a surety for true life. In the early churches, Timothy was to admonish his people to be rich in good works. The financially endowed were encouraged to use their riches (financial prowess) to meet the needs of others. But how did those (with little to no financial power) honor the Lord’s call? It is important to know what good work the Lord has called us to do and what actions make us worthy of this call? 1 Peter 2:9 affirms who we are: “… a chosen people... royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”. Ephesians 2:10 also states that “we are God’s masterpiece”. This means we can do good works for the Lord no matter how little we may have or how inadequate the world makes us look like. The early believers did it for God’s glory, what about us?

Our whole being is God’s masterpiece for good works. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord, so we must use all that we have to do good for his glory. Some of us may not have the financial means to do good deeds unto others but we surely have the heart to understand the plight of someone in need and to propose best solutions to his or her problem. Surely if we can’t understand, we are definitely blessed with the mouth to speak life into a dying soul’s life and to go down on our knees in prayer for others. Some of us are also blessed with the voice to sing to inspire, uplift and encourage depressed souls; others the hands to give a helping hand to needful soul; the feet to walk in peace, and seen in the company of good friends for God’s glory as Christians; the mind to study hard to show ourselves approved by God and man and to gain favor to open greater doors for the Lord’s Kingdom work; the ears to hear the best in people and that doesn’t encourage gossips of other brethren; eyes that see good in people and which is not judgmental based on the looks of brethren, etc.

The early believers used what God had endowed (gifts) them with. For instance, in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 some prayed for others to have strength to live good lives and others shared the word of God and exhorted on proper living, faithfulness, and endurance among many others (read 2 Thessalonians 3 and 2 Timothy 1 & 2). Today, may the grace of God, which has called us out of darkness, enlighten us to find our gifts and to use them for greater works in the Lord.

Remember, God has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago – i.e. to win souls for His Kingdom. We will not be weary in doing good only when we know our worth and what God has given us. You are a masterpiece; remain of value to the Lord. Amen.

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