Chosen Grace

Hi everyone! It’s been a minute since we”ve talked, so let’s catch up 🙂

A few weeks ago, I was extremely anxious over a decision that I had made. Now, this decision is a positive one and I didn’t feel bad about it, but I was worried about its after effects. I kept thinking anxious thoughts like:

What if this wasn’t the right time.

What if God doesn’t want to use me here.

What if I can’t perform the way God needs me to?

If you can’t tell by those thoughts above, let me spell it out for you: I was stressed! I couldn’t rest and my heart would beat fast every single day for a week straight.

These feelings had been bubbling up to the surface, and even as I worked out in the gym, I still felt uneasy and anxious. Well, one day as I left the gym, I felt the need to sit still for a few moments and rest.

I sat in my car and quickly began to confess to God how I felt, my fears, and my doubts about this season He was quickly moving me in. Following Philippians 4, my confession became thanksgiving as I began to thank God for literally everything.

As soon as I began to thank God, He reminded me of Ephesians 2:8, which details how we have all been saved by grace. There, in my car, was the moment when God began to remind me of exactly who He had called me to be.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

– Ephesians 2:1-10, ESV

You see, when the Apostle Paul wrote the verses above, He was coming from a place of experience. He was one of the main persecutors of the early church until Jesus appeared to him, commissioning him to spread the gospel (Acts 9). So when he pens the words above, he means them.

Ephesians 1-10 serves as a reminder that by nature, we are fallen people. Because of the fall (Genesis 3), we are prone to sin and walk in these ways. Our flesh is evil and downright dirty. But, there is hope for us: Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ gave up His life for our own, the sacrifice that would have been required of us was finished. Jesus didn’t pay half or a quarter. Nope – in His great love for us He paid it all.

I want to make this clear because so many of you, like me, have walked around with heavy burdens over actions, decisions, and thoughts that plague us day and night. We have let our past define us and the harsh words of another mark us.

But I want us all to know that Jesus has defeated every one of our actions, thoughts, and transgressions. We rejoice because we are FREE!! But, not only are we free in Christ – we are indeed His workmanship.

When Apostle Paul uses the term “workmanship”, it stems from the Greek word poiēma (ποίημα), which means handiwork, creation, or masterpiece.

This means that when God created us, He created us with intention and a purpose to reflect His divine nature. Simply put, God ain’t make no mistakes when he authored us. In fact, He factored in each of our mistakes and faults so that they would work our for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

We can rejoice in this truth because our Father has loved us and prepared for us good works. When He formed us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139), He called us by name and put a unique calling on each of our lives. Our Father cares for us that much, to go ahead and prepare the way for us.

A true workmanship does not work for themselves, they reflect their Creator’s best parts. That’s what we, as God’s creation, are to do. We are to reflect His goodness, love, and holiness in all aspects of our lives.

But the beautiful part is that as a workmanship of Christ – we don’t have to worry about much, because what He calls us and placed inside of us will naturally come out as we dwell with Him. He’ll even walk with us through it all.

I want to conclude this blog post by saying that God loves you. Cliche, I know, but it’s true. Our God cares about each of us so much. We are the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8, Deuteronomy 32:10, and Zechariah 2:8). God doesn’t play about us!

So, as we endure anxiousness, hardships, and even persecution may we be reminded that our Father calls us his masterpiece. We are loved more than we know.

And that, my friends, is good.

With a new appreciation for being a workmanship,

Malaysia

P.S.: I’m no longer anxious, but I am excited for the new thing God is doing in my life. That said- I do have a special announcement coming up! Stay tuned!