Topic: God Has Work for You [RICK WARREN Devotional 8 September 2022]
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God Has Work for You
BY RICK WARREN — SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
FROM LIVE YOUR CALLING: WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?
“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.”
Ephesians 2:10 (TLB)
God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution.
God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people.
The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB).
Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know he will reward you” (CEV).
In one of his parables, Jesus said, “The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me’” (Matthew 25:40 CEV).
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And the apostle Paul shared the same message: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:7 NLT).
God said it this way to the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jeremiah 1:5 NCV).
When most people think of this “special work,” they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy. But God says that he expects every member of his family to minister. In the Bible, the words “servant” and “minister” are synonyms; “service” and “ministry” are synonyms too. If you are a Christian, you are a minister. And when you’re serving, you’re ministering.
Have you ever wondered why God didn’t just immediately take you to heaven the moment you accepted his grace? Why does he leave his children in a fallen world? He leaves you here to fulfill his purposes.
Once you are saved, God intends to use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission for you in the world.
Talk It Over
- How much of your life is spent consuming resources from the Earth? How much is spent adding to life on Earth? If that’s out of balance, how can you spend more of your time adding to life rather than taking from it?
- What do you think God’s ministry for you in the church is? What step can you take to pursue that ministry this week?
- What do you think God’s mission for you in the world is? What step can you take to pursue that mission this week?
You don’t have to earn God’s love or work your way into heaven.
The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
If you’re ready to commit your life to him, then pray this prayer:
“Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sin and that you raised him to life. Jesus, I want to trust you as my Savior and follow you as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
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