God's redemptive story from the beginning of creation to the New Creation is one of bringing redemption to sinful people that results in new life in Christ and the impact of the gospel in all of our relationships, workplaces, neighborhoods and places of influence. In other words every Christ follower becomes part of that redemptive story. The problem is that many Christians do not have a vision for how God wants to use them or the part He wants them to play in that story.
In many ways salvation has become a way to heaven (which it is) but not a grand vision of life where we are now players in God's redemptive plan (which we are) for the sake of bringing His truth and righteousness to our corner of the world (which He desires). That is sad and it diminishes the joy we can experience when we join Him in His work and story. It is the lack of that connection between our redemption and God's story that often leaves the church with little impact beyond the parking lot of our churches.
One of the greatest gifts we can give others is to help them see the amazing part God want's them to play in His story. Ordinary people who can have an extraordinary impact on those around us in often small but significant ways.
This is the message of Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God uniquely created and wired us for "good works," whatever that may be so that we could join Him in His work on this needy planet. When God's people catch a vision for what that means in their day to day lives their purpose moves from merely existing to becoming active players in God's eternal drama and plan.
Why do people not connect their lives with that grand vision more often? Perhaps we do not emphasize enough the purpose for which we are saved. Perhaps we overemphasize ministry in the church to the exclusion of living out our faith in the majority of our lives. Perhaps we don't encourage people to discover what God made them for? I don't know all the reasons but I do know there is a deficit of understanding how we all fit into God's bigger plan.
I love the genealogies in Scripture. They chronicle how people famous and infamous, ordinary and otherwise were part of God's eternal story. We are in that chain of significance. Every one of us. Let's help all believers understand that.
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