"God-prepared-in-advance good works"

One of the books I'm currently reading is "Release The Power of Jesus", by Bill Johnson.

For the sake of illustrating a point, I want to include a portion of his writing.

"Through salvation we are also restored to our original purpose - the purpose that flows naturally from our restored identity and relationship with God.  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Works cannot save us, but without the fruit of good works in our lives, we lack the evidence that identifies us as new creations in Christ."

Now what I want to pick up on from this, is that once we become part of God's family through salvation, there is an expectation that we begin flowing in the predestined giftings that God brings to life in us.  They may have always been there, but with the Creator's backing now, you begin to create in a whole new way.  Your purpose in creating changes it's bearing; the emphasis changes, the drive behind it is God-inspired.  That's why an eight year old's painting, done spontaneously, without preconceived ideas about what art should be like, has such an impact.  It is achieving it's God-intended goal, either for just one individual, or many.  So the success of that painting is based on it hitting the God-intended mark.

We can so easily hide our giftings, not flow in them because we are too afraid that we would pass some man-made criteria of what is good or not.  I do believe that we should be growing in our giftings all the time, pushing our level of skill.  But in the process, we create for now - it's what God intended.  We have to rise up and dust off our talents so that they can be used for now.  Yes, it is a new season, so the challenge is to catch up.  But we do this not by looking at how we did things in the past and trying to replicate this, but by taking what you know and giving it to God, saying, "Use me for what you want to do now".

You will find His intention coming through, that there are "good works" stored up for you, waiting to flow through you - enjoy!