Prepared by God

Ephesians 2: 8 -10

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Reactions: Today I contemplated on the relationship between faith, salvation, and doing God’s will. Faith is not something I’ve earned; it is a gift from God. I have been saved because I’ve accepted this gift and believe in His son Jesus, who is my model in life.

However, God has also created me so that I may do His will by performing the good works that He has prepared for me. These works will help me grow in my faith, make me more like Christ, and bring me into union with God and His people. But how will I recognize the works that God has ‘prepared for me beforehand’? This has been the crux of my desire to do God’s will since I began praying with the scriptures. One approach has been to "test all things and hold fast what is good". This method has opened up many avenues for me to truly serve others, especially through my volunteer work with the disadvantaged. Today my meditation took me one step further, prompting me to be ever-vigilant for every opportunity to do the work God has prepared for me. I feel that through my prayer experiences I am being purified, perfected, and strengthened, helping me to be even more prepared to serve from the heart.