For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
— Ephesians 2:10
Did you catch that? Let that truth sink in for just a moment. You are God’s workmanship: a treasured masterpiece of our Heavenly Creator, created with a specific purpose in mind. And what purpose is that?
Good works. Not just a general, theoretical concept of good works but specific works that he prepared for us “beforehand”… before we knew God, before we responded to his gracious invitation of salvation, and before we were even born. In light of this, doing good works goes beyond just being nice to people and becomes the very fulfillment of our destiny in Christ. And it’s good to know we’re not alone in this.
As a preschool worker at the Sunnyvale campus, I experience this truth every Sunday I serve — not just in a spiritual sense, but in a very practical one. Every Sunday, without fail, our amazing preschool coordinator Angela Howard has everything laid out for us and ready to go. The lesson materials are ready, the song is queued up, the snacks are set out, the craft supplies are in place. All we have to do is show up and follow the instructions she has given us. Her preparation makes it so easy for us to follow through on our commitment to love those children and teach them the word of God.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. God has called us to some great works, but He has not called us to manufacture or pursue them on our own. Instead, He has prepared them for us “beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
I don’t know about you, but walking is not what I do when I am stressed, nervous, or fearful. When I’m stressed, I pace. If I’m nervous, I hurry. When I’m fearful, I might even run.
But walking implies a certain sense of calm, assurance, and steadiness. There is no fretting in walking, no anxiety. There is simply movement and direction — and a confidence we will safely arrive at our destination.
Is your life characterized by this? Are you walking in the good works that God has prepared for you, or are you frantically rushing about trying to duplicate what he has already arranged? Today, I encourage you not to live life for yourself, but I also encourage you not to pace back and forth as you live it for others. Instead, walk (don’t run) in the good works God has prepared for you. In doing so, you’ll find your life’s true purpose, and you’ll pursue it with the confidence of knowing that God has already prepared the things you are trying to do. And don’t forget the words that immediately precede verse 10:
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.
— Ephesians 2:8–9
Remember, not even your salvation was by your own doing — and neither are your good works. Instead, they are all part of a divinely orchestrated plan of the Master Creator to bring you to himself and give you a life you could never experience on your own.
Are you ready to walk?