Too often our perception of our "best life" is usually someone else’s idea of it. What we define or boast about as living our best life is a very different picture than what God has in mind. Truth is, we can’t have God’s best life if we’re not willing to let go of our definition of it.
Ephesians 2.8-10 talks about God’s gift to us and His plan for our life: “You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.”
The amplified translation calls us God’s workmanship: For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above — spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us] (Ephesians 2.10).
"Workmanship" comes from the Greek word poiema, which means "handiwork," as in God's own masterpiece, or "a careful work of art." Just as an artist seeks to express himself in his work, so does God express Himself in and through us. God goes before us and prepares the best life or path for us to walk.
“Living my best life” is a popular expression in today's culture used with good meaning and fun, but it’s often misguided just the same. Our culture defines living your best life as being happy and spreading good vibes with those around you; and more importantly, taking care of you. And while God cares about our happiness and how we share that with others, He has something of a different picture in mind of what we might think our best life looks like.
Our perception of our best life is usually someone else’s idea of what our best life should be — what the culture or world says our best life should look like; how much money we should make, where we should live, our style, what we should look like, and enjoy. I think we often get ourselves into trouble because we don't stop to think and ask, ‘how would God feel about what I'm doing or what I'm thinking about in my life? How does God feel about my standards? Ambitions? The goals and things I pursue?’ He cares about all of it.
📖 Ephesians 2.10 CEV: “God planned for us to do good things and to live as He has always wanted us to live. That’s why He sent Christ to make us what we are.”
If God is the Creator of our lives, and we acknowledge Him as that, then we also must recognize that He has something to say about how we live our lives the best and to their fullest potential. While we’re still trying to figure it all out, Jesus has the perfect picture of our best life. So it goes that if our definition of our best life doesn’t match God’s definition — we’ve missed it. We cannot have God’s best life if we’re not willing to let go of our definition of it. “I’m doing me. I’m living my truth” sounds nice, but what if it’s something that God didn’t have in mind for us?
Anything that isn’t God-breathed eventually dries up because God permeates what He creates. He funds what He initiatives and He only anoints what He authors. What we create, we must sustain — on our own.
In the story of Genesis, after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their minds were opened to the knowledge of sin. God then calls out in the garden, "Adam, where are you?" (Genesis 3.9). That sounds wild but it’s not that God didn’t know where they were; after all, He's God. But Adam and Eve were not found where they were supposed to be. So when God is asking questions like this, it’s not because He doesn’t know, it’s serving as a locator for us; a locator for our hearts.
Adam and Eve were not living their best life that God so beautifully crafted for them opting instead to choose another path. So as we often do today. That different path doesn’t always have to be “bad” in and of itself, but if it’s different than what God wants for us, it’s just not good.
You’ll never truly live your best life without God. You might have some wins, things enjoy and are proud of, or even be good or great at some things. But you’ll never realize your full potential to live your best life apart from God because we were never designed to be apart from Him.
Our best life is a life that reproduces something (good) and reproduces Someone (Christ). We can never duplicate Jesus, but we're called to replicate Him every chance we get. Where have you seen your definition and God’s definition of your best life mismatch and how can you respond?
A Prayer For Today
Father, open my eyes to the good life that You’ve already prepared for me. Help me to understand and pursue Your picture of success in my life today, tomorrow, and forever more.
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