As we begin the new year, 2012, let’s prepare ourselves to make the most of this year for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. Better yet, let’s ask God to do a work of preparing us for what He wants us to become and do for Him.
That’s the correct order: to become and then do. We so often turn this around and roll up our sleeves to do what we can before we work at becoming what God wants us to be. In many ways it is harder to become what God wants us to be than it is to do what we believe He wants us to do. The problem is that if we are not authentically what God wants us to be, whatever we attempt to do for God will be proportionately deficient and ineffective.
Once we have received the gift of salvation by faith God places us into His workshop where He begins making us into what He wants us to be. That’s what it means to be “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Paul put it this way in Romans 8:28-29, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” That’s priority one on God’s agenda for us while He works on us in His workshop: conforming us to the likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Once that process is taking shape He then opens doors of opportunity for us “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I trust we will better understand this process as we get God’s message during these visits throughout this year, 2012.
