Made to Do Good for God

We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2, verse 10.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread, Made to Do Good for God, was written by Lesley Ko and read by Wes Ward. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 6 through 10. God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Made to Do Good for God, written by Lesley Ko. At first, I ignored the card fluttering to the ground. The father and his little girl who dropped it were just 20 feet away, and I was late for work. Surely they would have realized it, I told myself, but they kept walking. My conscience got the better of me, and I went over to pick it up.

It was a prepaid bus ride pass. When I gave it to them, their effusive thanks left me feeling unexpectedly satisfied. Why do I feel so good about doing such a small thing, I wondered.

It turns out that the human body produces chemicals that improve our mood when we're kind to others. We're made to feel good when we do good. That's not surprising, because we were created by a good God who made us to be like Him. Ephesians 2 10 shows us that blessing others is not a part of our very purpose. We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. This verse doesn't simply give an instruction to do good.

In a way, it also reflects a part of our God-made nature. We don't have to be doing great things all the time. If we do something small to help others in our daily lives, we can do great things in our daily lives. We not only get the reward of satisfaction, but we also know that we're pleasing God, doing exactly what He made us to do.

Let's pray. Lord, thank you for creating us with great purpose and calling us to bless others through doing good. Would you help us to seek out ourselves to serve others with kindness and find joy in even the smallest acts of kindness, knowing they reflect your love and bring you glory? Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. Who needs a helping hand or an encouraging word? What kind word or simple gesture can you extend to a friend, colleague, or neighbor?