But because of the great love with which God loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages God might show the immeasurable riches of that grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Reflection
I turned 23 back in May, and honestly, it felt like the age of comparison. I work in a demanding field, and every time I scroll through social media, it feels like I’m bombarded by people who have it all figured out.
One friend just finished their master’s degree, another is launching a successful startup, and a third is traveling the world. Meanwhile, I’m sitting on my couch after a 10-hour workday, staring at my perpetually messy bedroom and wondering why I feel so behind. I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect. The perfect employee, the perfect friend, the person who always has a plan. When I inevitably drop the ball, whether it’s missing a deadline or forgetting a birthday, the shame is immediate and heavy. It’s like I believe that if I just work harder or do more or achieve that next big thing, I’ll finally earn a sense of peace or feel truly worthy.
The truth is, I’m exhausted from trying to build my own worthiness.
That’s why the passage in Ephesians is such a radical, beautiful lifeline. It shatters the entire idea of earning your way into life’s blessings. Look at what it says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
This is the antidote to our modern burnout culture. If God decided to make you whole and loved, not because of your perfect resume or flawless morning routine, but purely out of immense love, what does that free you from? It frees you from the exhausting effort of trying to justify your existence or earn your seat at the table. The gift has already been given. You are already alive, already seated, already completely loved. Even when you feel like you are still “dead in your trespasses,” or simply, dead tired from trying too hard.
The final verses offer to reframe your life’s purpose. It doesn’t say, “Work hard so you can become God’s masterpiece.” It says, “For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” You are not an unfinished project desperately scrambling for parts. You are the masterpiece (poiēma in Greek, meaning artwork or poem) already completed and created for good works. Those good works aren’t the foundation of your worth. they are the natural overflow of the worth already given to you. You don’t strive for acceptance, you live from it. Your 23-year-old (or 64-year-old!) path might look messy, but the purpose, the “good works” that were prepared for you, is already woven into the fabric of your being. Rest in that grace, and let your life be a spontaneous expression of that unearned love.
by Ali Clark
Prayer
Thank you for the gift of grace. Forgive me for trying to earn what you freely give. Help me to step off the treadmill of comparison and striving, and simply be the masterpiece you’ve already created. Guide my heart and hands to make the good works you have already prepared for me. Amen.
