By: Carole L. Haines

We may think we want a life of ease, but deep down we are each called to something greater than that. God has plans for us that have been prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them. Perhaps the struggle we are in is God-designed, God ordained; meant to grow us up and into who God created us to be. We may think we want our children to be young and cute all the time, but as a parent of 3 wonderful adult children, I actually enjoy them more now, as grownups. God wants to grow us up, and struggle is often a big part of the process of transformation. Learning to say “Yes” and “No,” to whatever comes our way and desires to take up our time and energy, is part of maturity.

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB)

Our desire for a comfortable life can often fly in the face of God’s plans. I do believe that we are called to a simple life, but not necessarily a comfortable one. In the above Scripture, we see that God has prepared works beforehand for us. He has a plan that perfectly fits us, and since He created us, He knows best.  Are we willing to live in the absence of our own well laid plans and instead take up only those works that God has prepared for us? Will we yield to being simply God’s workmanship instead of trying to bring purpose to our own lives? Jesus gives us a warning in scripture that is very sobering, yet He ends His thought with Hope.

²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. ²⁵ For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:23-25)

I wasted so much of my early Christian life trying to be somebody, trying to make myself matter, I failed miserably at everything I tried. God comforted me with this verse and is enabling me to trust Him with my purpose in my older years now.
 ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:23-25)

Sometimes the trials come in waves one after another, and we feel helpless. We can sometimes feel that we are living lives of quiet desperation, so needy, so weak, so in need of God. Today, let us consider the fact that this may just be exactly where God wants us, in order to grow us up into full maturity.