What is it your faith prompts you to do?

I don't know how you get the topics for your blogs, but I often get inspired while reading the Bible, by sentences jumping off the page. I love it when that happens, it means God's Spirit is talking to me!

One such sentence can be found in John 17:4 where Jesus is speaking:

I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Jesus brought glory to His Father by finishing/completing the work God gave Him to do. Work on earth, that is. I used that sentence in my blog series 'Glory to the Father'. 

And that blog series resulted in a few more blog posts about calling. Based on the words in Ephesians 2:10, I sincerely believe we are all called to do something particular, here on earth that is. Some people find that hard to believe. Others think the works need to be huge works, earth-shattering stuff... you know, the works famous people do.

Small stuff, big stuff... it doesn't matter, as long as we do what we are called to do! The Bible makes it clear, it is hard to miss it. Let's take a look at 2 Thessalonians 1:11,

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

Now, if that doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will. Again, we see this sentence (as in Ephesians 4:1) that we should live a life worthy of His call. Our call is also to bring glory to the Father by completing the work He gives us to do. Whatever it is. We cannot do it in our own strength, He will give us the power!

👉... accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 

What is it your faith prompts you to do? Go for it, do it! Why? Because...

Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:12).

You have been called by God

In my previous blog post, I wrote that we all have something particular to do for God.

God calls each person to do works that He has prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10) which I find very exciting. Shouldn't we all go on a quest to find out what it is? In the Bible, we see that age doesn't matter, circumstances don't matter, and background doesn't matter.

One of the tips I gave in my previous blog was to get inspired by reading the Bible, by the men and women that went before us. Such a man was Paul. He wrote in Ephesians 4:1,

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

He wrote this to the believers in Ephesus, not to a particular person. His urging and encouragement were general and we can take his words to heart, even today! 👉As a matter of fact, I urge you my dear readers: 'You have been called by God.' I am not talking about a phone call here, but about the mission He has for you.

Maybe you don't know whether you are called to write or sing or preach or start a business. No panic! The apostle Paul continued his writing with this: Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Now that is a calling we should all say YES to. The works God has prepared for each of us cannot and should not be done without practicing the right attitude. Who cares if you're successful but a pain in the butt?

We live in a crazy world where it is possible to lack good character and yet be successful. But God's standard is different. He does not want us to be all over the place, doing a zillion different things. We are called for something greater. Ephesians 4:4 says,

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

We all have something particular to do

I ended my latest blog series with a conclusion and a question: "I strongly believe we all have something particular to do, apart from the general works we are called to do as believers. 👉What is it He called you to do?"

In other words, what is your calling? The Bible is full of stories of people who had a specific task given by God. One smaller, one bigger, but a task nonetheless.

And whatever they did, became part of Biblical world history and God's Kingdom as we know it. All their stories are connected to Ephesians 2:10 where it is written:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Notice it says 'in' Christ Jesus. We first need to be in Him. Why? Because it is in Him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). We find our purpose in Jesus. Being in Him comes before doing something for Him. Remember that! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

We discover the specific works God has prepared for us when we are a new creation in Christ, in other words when we have been born again. How exciting! Think about it, there is a task only you can do. 

Yes, you. Why? Because you are unique. You have a specific character and background. You have specific life experiences, abilities, strengths, talents, and spiritual gifts. Some of your experiences may be painful or negative, but God will make everything new. He redeems our lives for His purposes.

I am a writer and blogger, but there are probably millions of people who do a better job than I do. Yet, I know that I am called to write about certain topics in a certain way, simply because of the way I think, the way I grew up, the way I connect with the Lord, the way I express myself etc. etc.

Furthermore, a prophetic word was given to me many years ago, before I even penned one blog, article, or book. God called me to be His 'faithful mouthpiece'. I have those words on my desk, to be reminded every day that I work for Him.

How do you find out what it is God has prepared for you?

• I believe it starts with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the Father's purpose for your life.
• Seek Christian gatherings where people operate in prophetic gifts and come with a genuine hunger to do His will.
• Get inspired by reading the Bible, by the men and women that went before you and take notice when your heart jumps a beat... that is a clue for further prayer.
• Journal (write down) anything that the Lord brings to mind: words, thoughts, scriptures, names... anything! They are pieces of the puzzle.
• Make sure to seek silence so you can listen to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit.

This post might be helpful as well

And you know what, when we do the particular works, we are being shaped into the man or woman He ordained us to be. Our specific calling shapes our life for eternal purposes.