“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 ESV)

If you listen to so-called “experts” who specialize in social issues, you will soon hear them talk about programs designed to help people develop a “positive self-image.” They say it is vital to a person’s good mental health and personal well-being. They teach their patients to love themselves and how to put themselves first in life. It's all about self-interest and self-fulfillment. Rather than being helpful, however, this self-fulfillment way of thinking leads to failure. According to the Bible, being “lovers of self” is just plain selfishness (sin directed) and will cause serious problems.

“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (2 Tim. 3:2-4)

You are God’s workmanship, with purpose!

The passage at the top of the page says that God created us for a purpose other than for ourselves! “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the good works which He prepared in advance for us to walk in.” Notice that it doesn’t say that He created us for ourselves or for any other selfish reason; He created us to walk in His purpose!

How to be successful and fulfilled

True success and fulfillment can only be found in a deep and intimate relationship with God. As you seek Him, prioritize His kingdom, and align yourself with His will, you will discover a sense of purpose, joy, and contentment that surpasses any temporary satisfaction the world and living for yourself has to offer.

Therefore 

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Her. 29:11)

“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6 NIV)

When I was a little boy, I shared a bedroom with my older brother. At night, just before we went to sleep, I’d say, "Good night, David." And he usually responded with, “Good night, Mikey; I will see you tomorrow if I don’t die!” That was a horrible thing to say to a little boy! For many years, I went to sleep afraid that I might die sometime during the night! And to make it worse, I had been taught to pray the following prayer just before going to sleep: “As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” This only amplified my fears! I struggled with the fear of dying for many years until I received Christ and understood what I had to look forward to. 

Death is not the end!

You have a lot to look forward to once you leave this earth! Heaven is a wonderful place, with God’s glory waiting there for you. And even if you have had a tough life here on earth, if you have asked Jesus Christ to save you, you will dwell forever in the house of the Lord, where there’s no more sorrow, no more suffering, no more sin, no more sickness, no more sadness, no more problems, no more pain, and no more pressure.

Therefore

“It is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” Eph. 2:5-7).

“A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.” (Prov. 24:5)

Exercising is a wise thing!

The passage at the top of the page says it’s wise to enhance your might, that means exercising is a good thing. It helps you improve your health, control your weight, reduce stress, boosts energy, and helps you sleep better. Of course, you want to be strong and healthy to get things done and be able to serve God well in whatever assignment He has for you.  

Therefore

“I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.” (Zech. 10:12)

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16)

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” (Isa. 48:17)

Profit is a good thing

To profit is to grow and be healthy. No business or enterprise will survive without it. And the good news is that God will teach you how to profit, especially when you seek Him first in the things you do (Matt 6:33).

To bear fruit in every good work

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Col. 1:9-10)

Therefore

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Tim. 4:15) 

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor. 9:10)

“And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.” (Job 8:7)

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8 NIV)

 Where are you meant to go?

If you’ve been a Christian for a while and attend church regularly, you’ve probably been exposed to Bible passages that tell you to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). Or maybe you’ve heard amazing stories from missionaries who tell about their calling to go and share Christ in far away countries like Africa. But even though you appreciate what they do, you don’t feel “called” to do the same as them or to leave where you are now living and go to some remote location to proclaim Christ. You feel like you’re an average person who just lives and works day-to-day within your own community, and you’re going about trying to make a living. So, how do you handle those “go and proclaim the gospel” verses? First, let’s start by considering what Isaiah did.

Isaiah responded to God 

The Bible says plainly in the passage at the top of the page that Isaiah was responding to what he specifically heard God say and he answered accordingly and did exactly the right thing! And we should of course do the same when we know for sure that God is speaking to us (James 1:22).

God speaks clearly to us this way

God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17). And as we read it, the Holy Spirit teaches, instructs, and leads us (John 14:26; 1 John 2:27). When we find a passage that’s a general command directed to all, we don’t have to do any guesswork, we just do it. Just before He left, He said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation.” It’s a commandment given to all Jesus’ followers, and that’s you, too!

One more time!

Let’s look a little closer at that verse again. “Jesus said, go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation.” Understand that “all the world” and “all creation” include your present community right where you now live and work along with everyone who’s in it—that’s the place and the people He placed you among to reach! Yes, you! It’s no accident you’re there, it’s by God’s design!

Therefore

So, your response to Jesus’ great commission should be the same as Isaiah’s, “Here am I, send me!”

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15)

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 1:19-20 NLT)

On Easter Sunday, we celebrated the most powerful event in the history of the world: the resurrection of Jesus! And all of that power, according to the passage at the top of the page, is available to you as His follower and joint heir. That’s right—you have access to the same power displayed on the first Easter that raised Jesus from the dead 2,000 years ago! Just think about that for a moment and understand what it means to you and your future. The power of the resurrection is yours! So, no matter what you may be facing in your life today, God’s power is far greater!

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (Eph. 2:20) 

Therefore

“Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” (Col. 1:11)

And remember this, too! 

The resurrection of Jesus comes with another wonderful promise for you to look forward to. When you die some day, it won’t mean the end of your existence!

“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Cor. 6:14 NIV).

“That you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Eph. 1:18-21)

We have the good news

Yesterday, in the USA, was April Fool's Day, a time when people often play harmless jokes. However, there's a more serious kind of foolishness worth considering. In yesterday’s writing, I discussed a man whom God called a fool for selfishly planning his future, unaware of his impending death. Another example of this is the rich man from Luke 16:19–31, who also lived selfishly and suffered torment in hell, forever filled with regrets and with no hope of relief. The good news is that we don't have to meet the same fate. Jesus Christ offers us redemption, as demonstrated in the Easter celebration just past. Jesus explains this to Martha in the following passage.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26 NIV)

Therefore

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)

“And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.” (Luke 12:18) 

Jesus told the story of a rich man who had obtained much wealth. But, instead of using it to help others, or to serve God, he had selfish plans!

“And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ (Luke 12:19)

It’s foolish to be selfish! 

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (Luke 13:20) 

In other words,

You never know how long you will live in this world. And once you die, what you attained will no longer be yours to do anything with; it will be out of your control and wasted.

Therefore

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:18-21)

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17)

Because He arose, we are no longer in our sins!

Today, Easter Sunday, we have a lot to celebrate! Jesus did it for us! Not only did He lay down His life and shed His precious blood to pay for our sins, He also clinched it by rising from the dead!

Therefore

 Now we have forgiveness for our sins, we have new life while here, and we have new life with Him in heaven, forever!

“who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Rom. 1:4)

“…from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Rev. 1:5)

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11)