Bible

[Ranb2khz]

Created to Do His Will

"LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand." ~ Isaiah 64:8

We are the clay being molded by the loving hands of the Potter. Our Father is shaping us into the likeness of His Son; but what is our purpose during this shaping process?

Our transformation begins the moment we trust in Jesus, and we soon learn that our Salvation is never earned by "doing" anything; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). But we also learn that eternal life is for those who do God's will; following Him is not an optional part of the Christian walk. We cannot truly accept Jesus as Savior without also beginning a journey of trust while walking in His steps. Faith means trusting Him enough to follow!

"And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." ~ 1 John 2:17

We generally like the idea of "new birth" when we think of being born into God's Kingdom as His child. But we become uncomfortable when we hear, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We get uneasy when we read, "You have been set free from sin and have become bondservants to God." (Romans 6:22). There is no Salvation without a willful transfer of ownership; and we need to face the difficult truth that this means a transfer of control.

Giving up control is never easy. It can be extra scary to face the unknown from the passenger seat; and it can be an offense to our pride to allow someone else (even God!) to take the lead. The roots of "self" go very deep! But as we learn to completely trust, God brings us to that wonderful place of peace where we can say, "Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You." (Psalm 73:25). Though sometimes difficult, there is great joy in a complete surrender to the will of our Heavenly Father.

As we give Him control over every area of our life, He will show us how to use ALL for His glory; "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10). He will give us the tools to accomplish His will, and in the process meet every need and fulfill our deepest desires.

He is the Potter and we are the clay. He is the Creator and we are definitely "the created." But we have been created with an awesome purpose. We have been given gifts, talents, and abilities, which when given back to God are used to bring Him glory and honor. This IS our purpose! We have been created to glorify His Name as we love Him and trust Him with all our heart. Let's bring Him glory and honor as we walk in the understanding that we have been created to do His will.
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~ published by: The Daily Encourager

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