What are You Eager For? 5th Week of Advent, Day 4

Week 5 Day 4: Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (NIV)

What are you eager to do? Last week my kids were eager to tear into Christmas presents. Well, to be honest, I was eager to do that too. What are you eager to do?

Some people are eager to make money. Others are eager to connect with friends. Some are eager to avoid pain. The rest are just eager to make it to the end of this week, month or year. (This week is actually the end of all three). Jesus desires a people who are eager to do what is good.
Now, before we start having flashbacks of all of the angry preachers who told us that we were bad and undeserving of Heaven, even though we had walked the aisle many times before, let’s look back at the passage.

Jesus gave himself to redeem us and to purify us. If we could redeem and purify ourselves, then Jesus’ sacrifice would be for nothing. There really is nothing that you or I can add to that. Jesus did it for us. But, what about the eagerness?

Being eager is really an innate sort of thing. You can’t work yourself up to being eager. You’re either eager or you’re not. “But, what if I’m not eager to do good? What does that mean about my relationship with God?” Honestly, it probably means that you’re distracted. The only way to gain God’s eagerness is to stop long enough to hear from Him.

So, right now, I would like you to stop what you’re doing…for two minutes. Say nothing. Do nothing. Just center yourself on God. Check your watch. Go. And, listen to what He has to say.



© Copyright 2009 Allen White

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.