Ephesians 2:10

New International Version (NIV)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

For meditation

The mind is a trickster sometimes. It plays us to believe we are lords of our lives and masters of our destiny. Under its illusionary power, we stump our feet and pound our chest. The world subjects everything to our beck and call and stands still at our command. However, we wake up every day to realize it’s all a deceptive mindset – a facade. Deep in our hearts we know who we belong to. We are not our own. We were bought at a price, the precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pt. 1:18-19). Our life doesn’t belong to us, but we struggle to get away from His authority and will. We force to loose ourselves from His grip on the altar with its refining fire. As His workmanship, God never lets us go (Eph. 2:10). He holds us down tight until His work is perfected in us for eternity. It may hurt and feel unbearable some times, but we cannot break away from His grip. Daily He chips away some things until we look like our Redeemer and Lord. Just as His love moved Him to save us, the same love works to purify us from all unrighteousness.

I remember when I was young. The worse thing I dreaded was the enema. You have no idea what an Ashanti woman from Ghana puts in the liquid she pumps into the bowels of her child. Just imagine a combination of red pepper, black pepper, ginger, and some herbs and you have the idea. It was sizzling going up, yet my mother had to administer it anyhow! She had to, because she loved me. Sometimes I ran away as soon as she started preparing the stuff, but she had some big boys hunt and hold me down for the unpleasant administration. My screaming did not help to free me from that painful discipline. I now know how much she cared for me.

That’s how God deals with us. In love, He tightens the lathe on us in His workshop. His compassion eclipses our discomfort, whilst He holds the face of Jesus as specimen to be reproduced to perfection.

1. So, why do you behave as if you’re in charge of your life?
2. Why do you pretend to be cool when the chisel of God bites painfully into your life?
3. How could He let go when His love is perfecting you in Christ, though you hurt and squirm?
4. Do you think you can muscle your way out of His grip?
5. Why not surrender as a living sacrifice and be free (Rm. 12:1)?

I pray you realize that God has His loving grip on you as His workmanship.

So: May you flow in His grace to perfect you in Christ Jesus.

Shalom