Living a life worthy of His calling

Graphic from A Life Worthy

When reading Ephesians 4:1-6 today, verse 1 starts out calling me to live a life worthy of my calling. I know I'm not worthy, that's why I need Jesus. The way the Amplified Bible said some of verse 1, helped me understand this better:

live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation

That part about a life that expresses gratitude to God for my salvation, that grabbed me.  I appreciate John Piper's comments on this, Piper makes the point:

"This does not mean that we should try to deserve our place in God's favor. It means that we should recognize how much our place in God's favor deserves from us. The focus is not on our worth but on the worth of our calling"

Piper goes on to compare it to a judge that had been found guilty of some shameful crimes and how this judge was looked at as behaving unworthy of his office.  The first 3 chapters of Ephesians have just told me about the gifts, status and place God's given me/all His followers:

• Blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesiasn 1:3)
• Chose us to be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4, 7)
• Adopted us as His children (Ephesians 1:5)
• Lavished His grace upon us (Ephesians 1:8)
• Let us know the mystery of His will for bringing all things to unity in Christ when time reaches its fulfillment (Ephesians 1: 9-10)
• Chosen as part of the church, those who first put their hope in Christ, to be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12)
• Given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our relationship with Him (Ephesian 1:13-14, 2:22)
• Given us the Holy Spirit as a source of stent and power (Ephesians 3:16-18)
• Given us great power (Ephesians 1:18-21)
• Forgiveness for sins (Ephesians 2:1-5)
• Seated with Christ in the heavenly realms to show through the ages His great grace to us (Ephesians 2:6-10)
• Brought us near to Christ (Ephesians 2:13)
• Loved us with an unending love (Ephesians 3:17-19)
  

 Now in Chapter 4 he's saying to live a life worthy of this great calling He's been telling me about.  I'm thinking about what this means, in practical/daily terms for me:

• I don't need to feel overwhelmed by how challenging my job is - I have been given His strength so I can go about things with a quiet confidence instead of hesitancy
• It doesn't matter if people like me or not at the new job - I'm loved by God and He has me there
• When I mess up I can be as honest about it as is permissible, ask God's forgiveness (and anyone else if needed) and move on
• As a grace recipient I can be a grace giver to John and not hold his faults/mistakes/wrong doing against him
• I have so much to be grateful for, and happy about, I can live my life with joy and give a smile to those I encounter

Oh Father thank you for all You've give me! I can never say thank You enough!! Holy Spirit make me aware as I go through my day of ways I can live a life worthy of what You've called me to.  I look to You Lord 'cuz I know that I can only live a worthy life through Your power in me.