GodReflection: The Ultimate IN Sider.
I am a calendar guy. From college days, a “to-do list” joined food, clothes, and hygiene as a necessary item for daily functions. In my first job, I observed all my colleagues carried a pocket agenda. One teammate, Ellis Long, took the use of monthly calendars to the level of an art form.
Along the way, I morphed from the pocket agenda to a monthly calendar and fill the weekday blocks with my daily “to-do list.” This month I notice from a previous calendar entry that I am now at the tenth anniversary of the GodReflection Blogsite. Thank you for reading over my shoulder. My prayer is that in some way it serves as a small whisper to encourage each of us to walk in closer step with The Holy.
As Texas’ summer heat recedes and in anticipation of a cooler fall, I find myself eager to hear with fresh ears and to see with a clearer vision the importance Paul, the apostle, packs into the meaning of the words in Christ. These two words dominate his correspondence with first-century churches.
In the second chapter of his Ephesian letter, he shares an insight into God’s Job Description and then gives me a job description for my task in this world. He shows me where to begin on my daily to-do list as my monthly calendar unfolds.
However, before these points, there is first a reality check. At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world . . . disobedience to God’s will . . . you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Paul has my number. With one broad ink-swipe of his quill, he covers reality for us humans. On our own we are hopeless. Not a tool in my toolbox can correct my broken condition. With his point made, he tells of God and his job description.
However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead because of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift (Ephesians 2:4-8).
That is who God is. That is what He does. He can’t help himself. He is His job description. Did you catch it? His job description is to show the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. His job description is God’s gift made possible in Christ.
From His job description of grace, he then sketches his assignment for me. It too is a job description. It is not only my job description, but it is also yours. Your job description and mine are the same yet not identical. What makes the difference are those He draws into our paths. After a quick reminder that God is our supplier, He shares with us just how special is our job.
You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives (Ephesians 2;8-10).
Wow! What a job description God writes for each one of us. We are created in Christ to do good things for these good things are to be the way we live before God and the way we interface with every desirable and every undesirable person who crosses our path. The only way that can happen is in Christ. It is through his spirit alone that I can begin to morph in that direction. He gives me the power to execute the job description God gave me in Christ.
Here is what I have noticed. Like my experience with self-assigned and human-assigned job descriptions, I am never a ten in my performance. I always fall short of perfection. Old Adam keeps me from meeting garden standards. Yes, in Jesus God creates me to do good works for my neighbor. It is a growth process. There are days when I carry out my job description and there are days when I am a miserable failure. It is especially on those days when I fail to meet God’s opportunities that I remember God also has a job description. He is the one who covers me with a blanket of grace He provides in Christ.
Once again way over my word count. But I must also remind us of the encouragement the apostle Peter sends in our direction. I don’t have to depend on my strength to fulfill my job description. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 4:11).
Pretty neat. God not only places us in Christ to serve but provides the strength in Christ to carry out the job description he places before us. What a job description! One that places us in Christ. It is a rather good place to remain, don’t you think?
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on God’s Job Description Comes From who He Is–Mine Comes From Him.
God Reflection 