[The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Ephesus,] “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).
Lord Jesus, some of the trend-watchers have said we are living on the cusp of an epidemic of narcissism. That’s a frightening thought. Would that same word have been used to describe the selfish, self-centered people living in Noah’s day? Would it have applied to the folks living in Babel who wanted only to make a name for themselves? Would it fit also for the Pharisees who believed they were better than the rabble of the street? How about the Twelve who wondered how they could achieve greatness in God’s kingdom? Thank you for putting my life into the right perspective again with these words of Paul. Thank you for reminding me that you are the potter and I am the clay—the artistic handiwork you fashioned in your own beautiful image. Thank you for humbling me once more by burning into my heart the divine truth that it is only by your grace that I can be beautiful in your eyes again. Thank you for reminding me that I am here to serve you with the work of my own hands, doing things that you laid out for me to do even before the world began. Bless me in that work, Lord., today and every day. Amen.
Reprinted with permission from “PrayerWorks” by Kenneth Kremer.
