For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10
A few years ago, my family unwrapped a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle on Christmas morning. Together we spent many hours finding the corner pieces, assembling the edge, grouping pieces by color, and putting it all together. As the puzzle neared completion, we noticed one piece was missing. We searched and searched for the missing piece to no avail. The one unique piece to complete our puzzle was not there. No other piece would fill that spot in the picture. Perhaps that bit of frustration serves to demonstrate a spiritual principle.
In the passage above, Paul lets us know that we are the workmanship of God with a unique purpose, to do the good works that God prepared beforehand for us. This is not a general statement that we should be out doing random good works, but rather that God has created specific good works for us to accomplish to fill in the jigsaw puzzle of God’s perfect plan for the world. We are uniquely created and shaped by God for His specific purpose. We should derive great satisfaction that our lives are infused with divine purpose, that our actions are not random or pointless. What we do matters more than we could possibly trace out!
If this is true, then we have a great responsibility to fulfill the purpose God has placed in every one of us. If we choose to bury a gift that God entrusts to us or to pass up an opportunity he places in our path, we leave a gaping hole in God’s masterpiece. Not only will our life be poorer for it, but countless others will be affected. God’s ways are beyond tracing out (Rom 11:33). Most of the time we won’t recognize how our service fits into his divine plan and must be satisfied to trust his faithfulness in using us to accomplish his purpose. What a wonderful experience it will be in eternity to see the wonderful ways God used our service. How humbling it will be to see what might have been.
Brother, sister – don’t waste a moment of life in vain living. Instead, walk worthy of your calling, fulfill your ministry, let your light shine brightly in the darkness, encourage each other toward greater service. Soon we will all rest and the opportunity to make a difference will be past. Don’t be a missing piece.
