Why Were You Born?

… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23-26

For the past three days, we’ve been talking about God’s invitation to Abraham in Genesis 17. Abraham discovers why he was created, what his purpose is, and his future destiny. The great American writer Mark Twain supposedly said, “The two most important days of our life are the day we were born and the day we find out why.” Responding by faith to God’s great invitation, Abraham found out why he was born. How about you?

God’s gracious invitation to Abraham—to live a life of intimacy, integrity, and influence—is God’s invitation to you. The Bible invites you into his story of glorious redemption and gives you good news that in Jesus Christ and his atoning death on the cross, God will forgive you and make you whole.

The Gospel powerfully transforms us as workers, the work we do, and the workplaces we inhabit. Our attitude toward our work changes from an obligatory drudgery to a joyful expectation of service to others and the worship of God. We now view our work as a primary means of our increased spiritual formation into Christlikeness. Working before an Audience of One, we do our work well as stewards that will one day give an account to God for our vocational faithfulness. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, we work in the Spirit exhibiting in our workplaces the fragrant fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As Gospel-centered apprentices of Jesus, we become workers other workers want to work with and we make a positive contribution to our workplace culture, helping others to flourish. The common grace soil we nurture, in and through our work, becomes a persuasive apologetic to our coworkers for the plausibility of the saving grace of the Gospel. In the workplace, apprentices of Jesus not only speak the words of the Gospel, we also live the words of the Gospel before others’ watching eyes.

When in repentance and faith, we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, broken Humpty Dumptys like you and me can experience the life we were designed to live in every nook and cranny of life. Yes, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. But God can! God can do it in your life and mine.

BIBLE PASSAGE:

they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Consider God’s invitation to intimacy, integrity, and influence. Which of those three come most naturally to you? Which is the most challenging?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you have created and redeemed us to be salt and light in a broken world. In your tender mercy, kindness, and grace, draw us near to you. Forgive us our sin, cleanse us, and make us whole that the fruit of the Holy Spirit may increasingly be evident in our lives and our work. Gracious Heavenly Father, may we feel your pleasure as we work, and may the work you have called us to do bring greater transformation to our lives and be a compelling testimony to those around us of your greatness and goodness. In and through our vocational faithfulness, may we be a faithful presence in the world. Amen.

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Jubilee: Everything Matters

For the past seven years, The High Calling has supported the Jubilee Conference, an annual gathering of thousands of college students learning how to worship God with their whole lives. Whether a person is interested in engineering and science or art and music, law and politics or medicine and mission, justice and families or college life and the years to come, Jubilee has someone speaking about what it means to be involved in those places faithfully. This week, The High Calling offers a special collection of articles, videos, and reflections to serve the students and campus ministers who attended Jubilee. Join the Jubilee and learn how to worship God with your whole life.

Featured image by Cindee Snider Re. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.