Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified Bible) "…[taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."
One of my favorite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption, based on a true story of Andy Dufresne, a man wrongly accused and imprisoned for murder. He spent 19 years at Shawshank Prison, until he escaped through a tunnel, the length of five football fields, that he partly forged with a small rock hammer, and the remainder through raw sewerage. While he served his time, he built a friendship with one of his fellow inmates named Red. In one scene, as he spoke of his dream of living on the Pacific coast of Mexico, he said "The Mexicans say about the Pacific Ocean, 'It has no memory of failure and pain'. That's how I want to live the rest of my life". Red rescinded, "Why are you talking about this? You're in prison for life. You're up here [in Maine] and Mexico is down there". Andy pauses and says, "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, get busy livin' or get busy dyin'." And all the while, Andy spent all those nights in prison digging his tunnel to escape, never revealing his plan to anyone. He told Red, "There are places in this world that aren't made out of stone, there's something inside that nobody can get to, they can't touch…hope".
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul talks about that hope for all those that have been born again. It's a promise of a good life that God has prearranged for every single one of us. Waiting for us. The key, I believe, is similar to Andy's response, "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, get busy livin' or get busy dyin'". Or, get busy making your dream a reality. It says "taking paths which He prearranged", meaning, we also play a part in us living the good life, we must take steps forward.
(Spoiler alert!) At the end of the movie, Red is finally released from prison after 40 years, and finds a box full of money that Andy had left him with a note saying "Dear Red, if you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to go a little further”. The final scene shows Red, who had jumped parole, and taken a bus as far south as he could go, walking up the beach in Mexico, seeing Andy in the distance. He was restoring an old boat, just as he had dreamed about and told about for so many years in prison. He was fulfilling his dream and living the good life.
It's time to get busy living folks. Like Andy, I'm asking you to go a little further, get busy livin' the good life that God pre-arranged for you. When you truly understand what God has waiting for you, and you have the God kind of hope on the inside of you that accesses His promises, you will get busy livin'. Livin' the good life that has been pre-arranged for you! Get started today!