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. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Have you ever pondered why you are here on this earth or wondered exactly what it is that you are living for? The longer I am married and as my children continue to grow, my answer has become very clear-I am no longer living only for myself anymore. The closer I grow in my relationship with Christ, the more I realize that my existence on this planet is not just for my family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or clients; it's all about bringing glory God.
My world view has changed drastically over the past decade. I couldn't have been a more self-centered and self-absorbed person before Christ and my family made me a changed man and on occasion, my lovely wife keeps me grounded when I begin to digress. Even when I had the privilege of serving as a youth pastor in a small Methodist church in Georgia, I had to keep my ego in check, because it was too easy to believe that I was making the youth group grow and be successful, when the reality was that it was ALL God's doing.
Once you begin to understand that the gift of God's wonderful grace-God saving us despite being 'dead' in our sins, the more you understand your true purpose on this earth. There is hardly room to boast, brag, or be self-centered anymore because you realize that ALL good things come from the Lord above and NOT from yourself.
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