As you may recall from my post ‘Be all there’ I collect quotes. Another of my favourite quotes is:
‘Whatever you are be a good one’
(William Makepeace Thackeray)
Note the words read ‘Whatever you are‘ – not whatever you do.
So,what are you?
At a fundamental level:
‘You are more than dust & bones
You are spirit & power & image of God
(Shauna Niequist)
We are designed by God & carry His imprint in our daily lives.
We are His workmanship:
‘For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship),
recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew]
that we may do those good works
which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us
[taking paths which He prepared ahead of time],
that we should walk in them
[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
(Ephesians 2:10 AMPLIFIED)
Being good at what we are does include our occupation- those jobs that take up the bulk of our time & use most of our energy.
In our employment we are to have a good attitude that is counter-cultural:
‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord’
(Colossians 3:23 NIV)
‘The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.’
(Martin Luther)
To be good at our our vocations, we need to focus on our audience of One.
‘Integrity is doing the right thing when no-one else is watching’
(CS Lewis)
We will also have a lofty aim:
‘The smile of God is the goal of your life’
(Rick Warren)
But being a good one goes beyond our formal employment to reach into our multi-faceted lives, including our relationships. We are to be good wives, mothers, friends,encouragers,writers & members.
And especially today on UK Mothering Sunday, we need this reminder:
‘There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.’
(Jill Churchill)
I’ll admit there are many days when I don’t feel good at anything at all- & on those days I feel blessed to remember that I am not trying to earn God’s forgiveness by being good. Rather I am trying to walk worthy of my calling, in a life of gratitude for the forgiveness He has already given.
With God’s help we can be the best version of our imperfect selves- becoming all that He created us to be.
These words encourage me:
‘You can be much more for God than ever you know by just being yourself & relying on Him
Keep praying & playing & being yourself’
(Oswald Chambers)
Be yourself! Be the best you that you can be (with Your Designer’s help!) We don’t have to contrast our efforts to other’s attempts at being good ones (though comparison is our default setting)
‘We do not and will not all look alike. There is no cookie cutter mould for how we as women will serve our God. We each have our own story from where we came, where we are today and where we are going tomorrow.We are journeying together in this thing we call life.’
(Courtney Joseph)
We cannot be good at everything & we are not expected to do everything. We are called to do our best & be good at those things God has gifted us to do & planned for us.
Although we are different, we all have this in common:
‘We all have 168 hours in a week and one life to live.’
(Jessica Turner)
One life to live.
‘You don’t have a public life and a private life, you have one life, and it’s to be found in Christ’
(Christine Caine)
There’s no split between sacred & secular. In God’s eyes our life is undivided & unbroken. There is no segregation. He has given us the gift of one life, & the opportunity to live it well.
As we live to be good at what God created us to be, contemplate the words of A Worker’s Prayer:
‘Before You we kneel, our Master and Maker;
Establish the work of our hands.
And order our steps to seek first Your kingdom
In every small and great task.
May we live the gospel of Your grace,
Serve Your purpose in our fleeting days,
Then our lives will bring eternal praise
And all glory to Your great name.’
(Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Jeff Taylor, and Stuart Townend; © 2012)
Blessings,
Ruth x
Blessed! 