Grace Enough for Kingdom Work

Launching from college into my career, I realized my starting pay was greater than my immediate value to the company—they were investing in my potential, not rewarding my productivity. I had a title, but lacked expertise it demanded, so I labored to bring my managers at least some semblance of a return. Hard work led to a promotion to a new, unfamiliar job and another steep learning curve, which left me once again exerting myself in order to bring my managers value for their confidence in me. And so went the cycle: new opportunities, heartfelt gratitude, hard work . . . rinse and repeat. My focus was not on earning promotions, but responding to those so graciously given me.

Lamenting his background as a persecuting Pharisee, Paul confessed, “I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle . . . But by the grace of God I am what I am.”¹ What a great confession of grace—God’s love and kindness overflowing to an undeserving us, even to the point of new identity and calling. Then by grace, fruitfulness follows. Continued Paul, “and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”² Yet when we consider God’s call through the lenses of our own natural capabilities, it is intimidating, for only through God’s grace and power can we be effective in Kingdom work. Consider the authority of God’s Word . . .

No one in Christ lives without grace, for “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”³

God’s grace to us is meant to overflow from us to the world around us. This is our calling. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”⁴

No grace is too small nor calling too big for our Kingdom work, for “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”⁵

In fact, God uses our weakness to showcase His strength; He speaks this universal truth to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then with the same confidence as the apostle, we “boast all the more gladly about [our] weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on [us].”⁶

Then so goes the cycle: God’s call, sufficient grace, effective work . . . rinse and repeat. God is our confidence. Bless His name.

Father, Your nature of grace pours out through Your gifts of grace. Use us as You will—speak Your call, be our sufficiency, and bless the Kingdom work of our hands. In Christ we pray. Amen.

¹ 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
² 1 Corinthians 15:10
³ Ephesians 4:7
⁴ 1 Peter 4:10
⁵ 2 Corinthians 9:8
⁶ 2 Corinthians 12:9