As we continue to work our way through Paul's letter, I was particularly struck in my reading today by Galatians 1:15-17. Paul speaks that Jesus had set him apart, even before he (Paul) was born. Now, on the surface, that might seem somewhat overstated on Paul's part. After all, we might ask, if he had been set aside to do this work even before he was born, then we could righly ask why God would have him do everything that he had done prior to his conversion, even to the point of overseeing the stoning of Stephen.
So there are two things at work right here. First, Paul was indeed set apart by God for the work that he would do, and that same thing can be said for every one of us. To think of it in a slightly different way, God had set me apart from before I was born to be typing these very words, even though they are words that I myself am typing. I am doing so because God has been at work in my life, even before I was born, to bring me to the point that I would type these things, and for what I will do later on today, and this week, and next week as well. Being set apart is a gracious and wondrous gift from our God, who sees the worth in our lives, and in fact, in every little work and action and word that we do and say.
You, also, are set apart by God, and have been even before you were born. That gives eternal meaning to every action that you take part in, and every word that you speak. It starts there within your family and then ripples out to touch everyone whose life you touch. You have been set apart by God to do those things, even if it as simple as giving a needy coworker a cup of cold water, or feeding your children as they throw their food around the kitchen yet again, or as you engage people with the saving word of the Gospel.
Now, that can easily lead us to have an overinflated sense of the work we do, and indeed, of who we are. Yes, it is a great and awesome thing to have God appointed tasks thoughout the day, but the next words of Paul in this letter remind us that we aren't do to this as though we are "God's gift to everyone whose lives we touch" (even though we are, we don't want to come across as that in an arrogant kind of way). Paul writes, "who called me by his grace." As we read that, we are reminded that, yes, we are God's gift to everyone that we encounter, but in a way that honors God and draws attention to Him, and not to us. Yes, people will notice us as we deliver God's good works prepared for us to do ahead of time, but we don't do them so that we get noticed. We do them so that God the Father gets noticed in us and through us.
Paul's whole life would be dedicated to pointing people to their place of salvation, the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Paul was instrumental in that message going forth, as God's chosen instrument to do so. Yet, Paul only did that by God's grace, a message that we remember to keep us in the humble spirit of our Savior, Jesus.
So there are two things at work right here. First, Paul was indeed set apart by God for the work that he would do, and that same thing can be said for every one of us. To think of it in a slightly different way, God had set me apart from before I was born to be typing these very words, even though they are words that I myself am typing. I am doing so because God has been at work in my life, even before I was born, to bring me to the point that I would type these things, and for what I will do later on today, and this week, and next week as well. Being set apart is a gracious and wondrous gift from our God, who sees the worth in our lives, and in fact, in every little work and action and word that we do and say.
You, also, are set apart by God, and have been even before you were born. That gives eternal meaning to every action that you take part in, and every word that you speak. It starts there within your family and then ripples out to touch everyone whose life you touch. You have been set apart by God to do those things, even if it as simple as giving a needy coworker a cup of cold water, or feeding your children as they throw their food around the kitchen yet again, or as you engage people with the saving word of the Gospel.
Now, that can easily lead us to have an overinflated sense of the work we do, and indeed, of who we are. Yes, it is a great and awesome thing to have God appointed tasks thoughout the day, but the next words of Paul in this letter remind us that we aren't do to this as though we are "God's gift to everyone whose lives we touch" (even though we are, we don't want to come across as that in an arrogant kind of way). Paul writes, "who called me by his grace." As we read that, we are reminded that, yes, we are God's gift to everyone that we encounter, but in a way that honors God and draws attention to Him, and not to us. Yes, people will notice us as we deliver God's good works prepared for us to do ahead of time, but we don't do them so that we get noticed. We do them so that God the Father gets noticed in us and through us.
Paul's whole life would be dedicated to pointing people to their place of salvation, the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Paul was instrumental in that message going forth, as God's chosen instrument to do so. Yet, Paul only did that by God's grace, a message that we remember to keep us in the humble spirit of our Savior, Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment