Preapproved
Face your responsibilities and relationships with confidence today. You already have God's approval.
Pretreated fabrics on new furniture will resist stains without you worrying about it. Prewashed jeans allow you comfort and style without the hassle of sixteen cycles of washing and drying. Prepunched handouts are easy to slip into your 3-ring binder. Preseasoned pork tenderloins mean no messy marinades. Prearranged travel itineraries as part of a tour group keep you from getting lost and provide care free enjoyment. Preprogrammed computer chips let you plug and play. Precooked turkey is perfect for slapping on a sandwich without needing a microwave.
Ah, life can be so easy. Except when we make mistakes. And we all do.
There is one aspect of life Christians can’t mess up, however, and that’s following God’s purpose for us. Don’t think bulls eye here, either, as if God’s plan and purpose for you is a narrow option as difficult to fulfill as it is to discover. Picture the entire dartboard - even the wall behind it (which some of us insist on using occasionally) - as the target!
God has made following his purpose for you as complicated as prewashed jeans or precooked turkey. You can’t mess it up when you use it as intended.
You might say that succeeding in the role that God has for you today, and in your life, is preapproved by God himself. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5). That’s God’s promise to Jeremiah, a man he called to the role of prophet, and that’s God’s promise to you for whatever role he has for you. Friend? Employee? Spouse? Parent? Supervisor? Neighbor?
No need to worry about mistakes when God is involved. Based on the perfect life and death of Jesus Christ, God has given you his approval in the form of forgiveness of sins and the ability to obey his most difficult assignments with the very strength of Jesus.
Face your responsibilities and relationships with confidence today. You already have God’s approval. You already have God’s assignment. The one who made you and saved you will also help you in any task he gives you. “You know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
When you face a difficult task, listen to your faith remind you that you are doing it for your Savior. And you’ll do it very well.
PRAYER: Sometimes I feel overburdened, God, with too many roles and responsibilities. Help me manage my life. Give me the courage to let go of unnecessary baggage that I loaded up only to feel important. Then give me the faith, love, and strength to fill the roles you open up for me, and to pursue them with passion. Guide me with your perfect direction and when I can’t go on, carry me with your always present love. Amen.