Every believer represents a living masterpiece that has been carefully put together to accomplish a specific purpose. In the same way that a master artist takes great care in selecting the right canvas for a painting, God takes great care in selecting each believer for a specific assignment. As a result, there is nothing about our lives that happens outside of His sovereignty. Like the master artist, every stroke of the brush and color variance has been intricately applied to the canvas to prepare us for good works. The details that make us unique individuals, such as our skin color, tone of voice, and personality, combined with the complex series of events that has defined our lives, is used to shape us into the people we are today. You are God’s masterpiece created for good works.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Jesus the Christ)
Paul reminds us that good works are not merely good ideas, they represent what we should walk in as we grow in our faith. At some point in the spiritual growth process, we are called to move past the consumer stage and begin to share in the activity of building the church. If we can learn to grow past our egos, agendas, and offenses, we can participate in the most significant work on the planet. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing people get saved and grow into vibrant believers. Paul reminds us to apply the words of Jesus to our lives in his farewell remarks to the Ephesians, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to received.’ (Acts 20:35, NIV)”
The process of moving towards our divine purpose starts with the discovery of our spiritual gifts. As we get more clarity about how we are designed to serve, it will have a dramatic impact on our thoughts, decisions, and direction in life. After the prophet Samuel informed David that he was next in line to become king of Israel, David began to walk out his purpose in a greater way. In the process, everyone could see that he was a mighty warrior, skilled musician, and fearless leader. David was graced with the gifts that were needed to accomplish his assignment. In the same way, the opportunity to discover our spiritual gifts will present itself as we take the time to serve in the church. Paul assures us that every believer has received at least one gift issued by the Spirit of God, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:11, NIV)”
The next step to producing good works is having a clear sense of direction for our lives. God is the ultimate visionary and knows how to place dreams in our hearts that bring out our best. As we continue to stay planted in the local church and get involved, we will develop a greater sense of clarity about our assignment. However, we will have to overcome a few common setbacks that prevent people from moving forward. For example, it’s easy to feel unqualified to serve in church due to past mistakes. Or we may have tried to step out on a dream in the past that didn’t work out. Now is the time to release every negative thought that holds us back and embrace a new way of thinking. God used the prophet Isaiah to encourage the Children of Israel who after being in exile for many years did not believe they had a blessed future:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV)
The dreaming process always begins with the decision to forget the former things. We cannot move into the future if we’re still looking in the rearview mirror. You may have tried to step out on faith in the past and your dreams didn’t work out. Maybe your business failed, or the ministry didn’t get off the ground. It could be that you struggled with an addiction, or had a moral failure, and feel that you are washed up goods at this point. There are many kinds of “former things” that have the potential to prevent us from believing that our lives still have purpose. However, God wants us to understand that despite our past failures, He still has a plan for our future. The path towards finding our sense of direction for the future starts with the decision to forget the former things.
Next, we must learn to perceive where God is taking us even when things don’t seem prosperous in the moment. We may not see the full manifestation of our purpose right now, but God will cause things to spring up that offer clues to guide us forward. It could be that a door suddenly opens that you did not expect. Or perhaps a door closes that you thought would stay open. It’s not our place to know every detail about the future, but we must learn how to perceive the next step in the journey. In some cases, God has already given us instructions and is waiting for us to make the next move. King Solomon reminds us that although we may have many ideas in our hearts, we will find success in perceiving what He desires for our lives, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21, NIV)”
Finally, it’s important to trust that God is making a way into the unknown places that we can’t handle on our own. If we have a dream that could happen without any assistance from God, then the dream did not come from God. The prospect of walking towards our destiny should feel slightly overwhelming, or perhaps even impossible, without help from above. If we limit our future to what we can handle on our own, we will not step into the deeper things that God is doing. It’s easy to focus on the unknown variables that make us feel unqualified, but that’s why we are in partnership with God. He will make a way in the wilderness where there is no clear path and provide streams in the wasteland when there are no resources.
As you consider using your spiritual gifts in the local church, it’s important to note that doing good works does not begin with the full maturity of a dream. God takes us on a slow journey that prepares us for each new level of responsibility. It’s for this reason we must not despise the day of humble beginnings. I have worked with many aspiring believers who wanted to accomplish great things for the Kingdom. However, the process of doing great things always starts with a willingness to serve in small ways. If we get discouraged during the process of spiritual maturity, or don’t have the patience to stay the course, we are subject to giving up on our dreams prematurely. It’s for this reason we must recognize that our purpose is not found in a destination, it’s found in the person of Jesus Christ alone. We can take the next step in the journey knowing that we have already found our purpose in Him.
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