Prepared Unto Every Good Work

2 Timothy 2:21

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

If I could promise to show you how to be prepared for anything you face in life, you would sit up and listen to what I was about to say. God promises that He can help you to be prepared unto every good work. God did not say that He would help you to be prepared for any work, but for every good work. The only good work in life is the work we do for Christ. Every other work we do in life will die, but the work we do for Christ will last for eternity.

One of the keywords in this phrase is the word prepared. God will help us never to be caught off guard when we do the good work. God says He will help us to be equipped to face any work that He asks us to do. My friend, God only asks us to do what He has already prepared us to do. God shows five things to do to be prepared for every good work.

First, you need to know who you belong to to be prepared for every good work. Verse 19 says, The Lord knoweth them that are his. You are God’s, and because you are His, He is yours. The fact that you belong to God means you have no right to do what you want to do because you do not belong to yourself.

Second, you need to know that you have great potential. Verse 20 says, But in a great house. God did not say in a house, but in a great house. God considers your life a great house. God does not look at what you are now, but at what you will be if you do what He needs you to do to be prepared unto every good work. There is great potential in all believers if they will allow God to do His work through their lives. Not to give your life for God to use in any way He knows is best limits the potential of your life. When you realize you belong to God, you will find you will reach the greatest potential that your life can reach in His service.

Third, you need to know there are things you need to remove to see that great potential. In the great house are vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. Remove those things in your life that keep you from being the vessel of gold and silver. Separation is a key to finding the potential God has for your life. Whatever is keeping the gold and silver from being seen in your life must be removed. There is nothing in life worthy of holding onto that hinders you from being the potential God has for you.

Fourth, you need to know there are some things you cannot do that would hinder you from that potential. God says you need to purge your life from those things that keep you from being a vessel of honor. Some things are not wrong, but they will keep you from being the vessel of honor God intends for you to be. Don't be attached to things that will keep you from reaching your potential for God. If I must put away a good thing to be something better for Christ, it is worthy of putting away.

Fifth, be willing to do whatever the master wants to use you to do. Don't put parameters on what you will do for God. God knows what He made you for, and if you will have a willing heart to do whatever He wants you to do, you will find He will help you to reach that greatest potential in your life that He has planned for you.