Self Contentment
Ephesians 1:6 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
You and I both know that there are always areas in our lives where we can improve and come up higher. Even though I’m not necessarily pastorally gifted, that doesn’t give me a license to be rude, detached or uncommunicative. My people skills and relationships skills are important.
It’s the same with you. Perhaps you’re one of those pastorally gifted people. Praise God for that. But pastorally gifted people are rarely on time for meetings, because they’re the sort of people who’ll make time for someone in need. That’s in their nature. Equally, it’s simply not right to use that gifting as an excuse for constantly being late.
So, yes, there are always areas where we need to come up higher, areas we need to work on in our behaviour, even if they’re not necessarily in the sweet spot of our gifting.
Excellence honours God, it’s as simple as that. I’m sure as we have this conversation, God’s touching your heart with one or two things that He’d like you to be working on.
But – and this is such an incredibly important “but” – equally, struggling and trying to become someone you aren’t is never, ever going to work. Here’s God’s take:
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
Now, let’s think about what was going on in God’s mind, in God’s heart, when He destined you for adoption as one of His children through Jesus. Adoption is a big decision. Huge in fact. And He did that out of his love for you, out of the pleasure of His will, pouring out His glorious grace on you, through Jesus.
Just ponder for a minute what was going on in God’s heart when He destined you for adoption into His family, through the incredible suffering of Jesus, His beloved Son. It’s a whole different view, isn’t it?
What’s the matter with us, that we can’t get comfortable with how God made us; who He made us to be? What’s the matter with us that we want to compare ourselves and wish we were this or wish we were that?
Get a revelation. God loves you just the way you are. Hey, He made you just the way you are. Do you have a few rough spots that need sanding back and polishing? Of course you do. God the Holy Spirit has that process well underway, don’t you worry.
So, instead of beating yourself up about who you are and who you aren’t, what God wants, with all His heart of love for you, is for you to join hands with Him in that process of change. For His glory. Out of his love.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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