Good Works and God's Work — Nashville Institute for Faith and Work

Editor’s Note: The following article is written by Josiah Leuenberger, NIFW’s Director. Read more about Josiah here.

Two weeks into my role as NIFW Director, I’m grateful to so many of you for your warm welcome. I’ve come to see quickly and clearly that, at its core, the NIFW community is a vibrant group of people who desire to live in response to the gospel in real, personal ways. You love people and are invested in cooperating with God to bring his redeeming grace to bear on the places you serve in this one-of-a-kind city.

As I begin, I’m also grateful for the leaders who have come before me in stewarding the NIFW ministry. Each of you has played a part in laying a foundation of transformative, practical ministry and building upon it in such a way that gives me excitement as I pray and dream about the possibilities ahead.

As I think about the future of NIFW, what I look forward to the most is hearing the stories that will continue to be told of God’s grace made manifest among the communities with whom we work as a result of God’s work among us.

A passage of scripture that spurs my imagination in thinking about this comes from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus - a diverse, booming city in its own day. To a people faced with a variety of challenges and opportunities, Paul opens by sharing how the story of Jesus provides ultimate hope for any person who trusts him for forgiveness and restoration to God.

As Paul’s words of Good News build to a crescendo in the early part Chapter 2, he pivots from expounding upon the monumental nature of God’s grace to naming the purpose for which this gift is given:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

The word translated workmanship in this verse in the original Greek is poiema, a word used to describe a product (often a fabric) that was crafted for a specific intent and purpose.

What Paul is tapping into here is two-fold: 1) The uniqueness of every Christ-follower in the way that God has created us to serve (with different gifts, abilities, personalities, experiences, and cultural backgrounds), and 2) The common purpose shared by every follower of Jesus: That the work of our own lives would point to the ultimately good work of Christ.

An activity that I very much enjoy is writing training programs for endurance sports athletes. Though the art of coaching inevitably involves continual, strategic adjustments to any training program, no matter how well-written, I love the sense of excitement and potential that comes with completing the process of writing a training program for an athlete and dreaming about the improvements in fitness and performance that lie ahead.

As I read Paul’s words in this passage, I can’t help but imagine God feeling a similar sense of excitement and anticipation in considering the redemptive potential within every person who Jesus has so graciously drawn to himself. New possibilities for transformation are on the table - for our lives, our communities, and this world - as a result of God’s presence and activity among us.

Think about the difference this truth can make in the way that you and I approach our day to day:

How might God’s grace be made manifest in our work as a result of his work among us?

This is a question that followers of Jesus have the responsibility and privilege to engage. It’s one we can answer in a myriad of ways, and, thank God (seriously!), this is a question we have the joy of being able to answer together, as we support, encourage, and challenge one another to live out our common mission in unique, creative, and meaningful ways. I look forward to making the most of the opportunity as we learn, serve, and experience life together in the years to come.