Eternal Impact - First15 - September 14
Weekly Overview:
Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have been afforded an opportunity to live an incredibly abundant life here on earth. Our God is nearer, more tangible, and has a greater ability to make his presence known than we’ve yet realized. He longs to make his children more in tune and aware of the depths of his love, guidance, empowerment, and nearness. He longs for our days here on earth to be marked by unveiled communion with him. As we look at what it is to live an abundant life here on earth, I pray that your heart will be awakened to the reality of God’s presence and affection in your life.
Scripture:“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
Devotional:
You and I were created to make an eternal impact that no one else can make. We’ve each been given a destiny of good works that are incredibly important and wholly unique. No one else can touch people’s lives like you can. God created you for a unique purpose that is solely yours, and he is ready today to equip and empower you to make a deep and lasting impact on this earth.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” You are the workmanship of the Master Craftsman. You are the creation of the Almighty Creator of all. And he has made you for such a time as this. You are not here by mistake. You are not less than other believers around you. Your calling and anointing carries no less weight or importance in the kingdom than anyone else’s.
As a Christian, you have been made new. The person you were before believing in Jesus has been redeemed and transformed. You now have the same Holy Spirit dwelling within you who raised Jesus from the grave, empowered the disciples to save, heal, and set free the lost, and authored the words of Scripture.
Making an eternal impact is all about you becoming and living out of who you are in Christ Jesus. It’s about adopting the new creation that you have become through the power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Making an eternal impact is less about you and more about the “excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” It’s about proclaiming with your life the depth of power, love, grace, transformation, and forgiveness your heavenly Father has toward all who believe. You belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is with you always and is ready to empower you for a life of eternal impact. There is no greater life than one seeing the world transformed by the love of its Creator.
Take time in guided prayer to ask God to fill you and empower you with his love, to reveal to you the impact he longs for you to make today, and to help you choose to live out of the new creation you are in Jesus.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the importance of making an eternal impact. Reflect on the goodness of working with the Holy Spirit to transform the earth around you with God’s redeeming love.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
“Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the plans he has for you today. What good works have been prepared for you beforehand? How can you change the world with the message of God’s grace and love?
“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
3. Ask God to help you live out of the new creation you are in Jesus. Ask him to lead you away from temptation and toward the fullness of his presence that you might see his kingdom come to earth in all you do.
Making an eternal impact is really all about love. The world is looking for love. Love sets us free from the bonds of worldliness. Love empowers us to live for heaven over the pursuits of the world. And it’s love that will draw the lost into the fold of God. Allow the Lord to fill you with love for others around you. Ask him to give you his heart for those in desperate need of a revelation of his love. Follow the Spirit and live today to make an eternal impact with the message of God’s grace and love for all he has made (Psalm 145:9).
Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 13
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