Formed for Good is a framework for men searching to understand who we are and what we were made for. We live in a story that is bigger than any of us yet we each have a critical role. When we are awake to this shared story it gives us the context to understand our identity and purpose. The disorientation many of us feel settles in like a fog when we lose track of the story. Our aim is to get it back.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” It says we were made by God to do good work. We were made to be part of something and to do something. The story began with God entrusting the world made to us, his sons and daughters. And then he instructed us to carry forward the good project he started. The assignment was to rule and work with him (note the logo is both a shield and a head of grain).
As we know, it was all derailed when humanity turned our ears to the voice of evil. We believed lies about who God is and determined to rewrite our own stories. In doing so we lost our connection to our Father who is the source of our identity and purpose. We set off into the darkness. As a collective and as individuals we all know the chaos that comes when the story is lost. But God didn’t leave us in the dark. In his love, he intervened into his own story to set things right and make a way for us to come home.
Now the mission isn’t just to build, it is to rebuild. We are being restored as we are also invited to participate in the restoration around us. Both happen at the same time. So it is as much about the process as the results. And yielding to that process can bring about our transformation. This restoration project is both epic and practical. It is profound but it is also simple. And it may look different for each man. No matter the job each of us has been assigned, the work matters when it is done with God and for the good of others. The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers operate by the four simple words, “So others may live.” This motto captures the vision of Formed for Good. We want to become the kind of men who are willing to love sacrifically so others may live.
My name is Erik Swenson and I am the Director of Content Creation. I dream big in countless directions. In addition to the creative work I contribute to this ministry, I am also a freelance illustrator and designer. If you are looking for help telling your story, check out my other website:
My wife Heather is the Director of Mission and Vision. She is a beautiful and strong anchor and she keeps this circus under a tent.
We also have four strapping boys, a lovely daughter and a dog who eats cardboard.