John 6:38

Jesus came down to earth from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of his Father. If the Son of God was obedient to do the work assigned to him then consider Ephesians 2:10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (ESV). We were created in Christ Jesus for a purpose; not to do our own will, but that assigned by our Father. Jesus enforces this when he said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19 ESV). We were chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1-3 NASB). The western culture provides so many distractions that if we are not intentional we will slip into living for ourselves and not for the one who chose us for a kingdom assignment. It is my prayer that when I stand before My Father one day that I will hear him say, "Well done my son." How about you?

Prayer

Father, what I have written is not a popular subject because in our western culture the world has many things to offer that provide pleasure, comfort, safety, security, self worth and the list goes on. A serious commitment to do assigned work joyfully may threaten the things we hold onto in the above list. Father, I have found doing the assigned work has resulted in a career in a Christian ministry, Bible teaching in China, ministry opportunities in different parts of the world, life group and Bible study leading, research and study needed for the support of two Christian blogs to list some of the bigger items. Father, having lived just a few months short of 80 years, I do not regret the time spent doing this work and will continue, if possible, until the day I go to heaven. The blessing has been tremendous. The people I have spent time with and the experiences I have had have been amazing. Thank you for your guidance and our relationship.