God’s masterpiece

I really love this verse.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

The NLT puts it, “We are God’s masterpiece.”

We’re not simply some slop God threw together because he had nothing better to do.

He took great care and joy in putting us together. He made us just as he wanted us to be. And when he looks at us, he beams with pride at what he has made.

The thing I noticed today was that second phrase, though: “created in Christ Jesus.”

I’ve always linked that back to our original creation, to the time when God put us in our mother’s womb. And to some degree, that’s probably true.

But when I see that phrase, “in Christ Jesus,” it makes me think that’s not what Paul is talking about.

Although we can rightfully say that Christ did create us in our mother’s womb, we never see those exact words in scripture.

I think what Paul is saying here is that when we became Christians, we were created anew in Christ.

We see that in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

And when God created us anew in Christ, he did not do so with the intention that we simply live for ourselves once again, falling back into our sinful patterns.

Rather he created us anew for the good works that he prepared in advance for us to do.

In other words, when he created us and recreated us, he already had plans in mind for us. He had things he wanted us to do. People he wanted us to touch.

And so the question we need to be asking moment to moment, day to day is this: “Lord what do you have prepared for me today? What is it that you want me to do? Who is it that you want me to touch?”

Too often we go through our days never giving a thought to the things God has in mind for us to do. And because of that, we miss out on a lot of the things he had planned for us during the day.

There are probably too many days I have had like that.

Let us not live that way. Today is not just another ordinary day. God has specific things in mind for you today. Let’s keep our eyes open for what they are.