January 15
Good works are always to be part of the believer’s life (James 2:14-36). So what is the difference between people who try to do the right thing and believers who walk in the will of God through their work? I think it is a matter of motivation and resource.
The natural inclination of people is to do the things that benefit them personally. Good work may make them feel good about themselves or give them a sense of moral superiority over other people. Very little of what people do is actually truly selfless. The motive for most people is personal. Humans tend to be rooted in self, drawing nourishment from sources that support their world views.
Paul, however, wrote to the Ephesians that they were to be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). And the love of which he wrote was nothing like the best kind of human love. He tried to describe the love of God, but ultimately had to acknowledge that God’s love is wider and longer and higher and deeper than any kind of love the human mind can understand.
If we who are believers are rooted in that love, we are nourished by it, and as our roots grow deeper, our work produces better and healthier results. If we stay grounded in God’s love, we are less likely to do things to glorify ourselves (less likely because we are still human). Our motives turn to the things that create unity, promote peace, and glorify God forever.
Defaulting to Grace 