“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” (Michaelangelo)
Michelangelo as he looked at a piece of marble would chip away at those parts that didn’t fit into the vision He saw, to create the masterpieces we still enjoy today.
God works on us a bit the same.
He sees us as we really are, and just asks us to allow Him to reveal it. To work on us, to chip away at those things that keep us from being who were created to be; which in a sense are imprisoning us, and allow God to reveal who we really are.
What vision (plan and purpose) does He have for you personally?
For your family?
For the Church community you are a part of?
We recently returned from an amazing trip to Europe where we saw some amazing, beautiful places.
God is a great artist; there is no question about it, and He has gifted and inspired great artists too.
But God’s greatest masterpiece isn’t some of the sunsets you may have had the privilege of seeing on a hilltop in Florence or looking at the amazing Western Australian sky one night; the English countryside, or the rugged beauty of Wales, (as spectacular as they all are).
God’s greatest masterpiece of creation is you. And it’s me. We are God’s greatest masterpieces.
The New Testament was written originally in Greek. The Greek word for workmanship or masterpiece is “poema.” It’s the word we get “poem” from.
God says, “You’re my poem. You’re my masterpiece. I don’t want you copying somebody else. I’ve placed gifts in you, abilities, personality, and experiences, and I want you to use them.”
The Bible says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book”.(Psalm 139:13-18)
Many people lack self-esteem. A lot of effort goes into people trying to feel better about themselves. They worry about the kind of clothes they wear, the kind of car they drive, and the things they say. Always trying so hard to feel better about themselves because they really don’t accept who they are.
If God wanted you to be somebody else, you wouldn’t exist. But He wanted you! He made you to be you.
I was reading a story recently about a man who lived in a tiny apartment and died in extreme poverty. At one point in his life, he had even been homeless, living on the streets. This man never had any successes to speak of, nor any noted victories. He lived and died as just another face in the crowd.
After the funeral, some family members went to his little run-down apartment to clear out his belongings. They found a painting hanging on the wall, so they decided to sell it at a garage sale. The woman who bought it from the garage sale took it to a local art gallery for an appraisal and was shocked to discover that the painting was extremely valuable.
The painting that had hung for so many years in a little run-down apartment was actually painted by a famous artist who lived in the early 1800’s. The woman decided to auction off that painting and ended up selling it for several million dollars!
Just think how that man’s life might have changed if he had known the value of what he possessed. He was a multimillionaire and didn’t even know it!
So many people today are living with priceless treasure inside of them, and they don’t even know it.
Sometimes we have to explore what’s on the inside of us to really understand what we have.
You are a masterpiece, created by the most famous Artist of all, but if you don’t understand your value, you’ll go on thinking, I’m just average; I’m not that talented; I’ve made so many mistakes.
Don’t allow those negative thoughts to play in your memory box. Instead, every morning when you get out of bed, remind yourself, I am important. I am hand picked by God, and I am a person of extreme value and significance.
Prayer. Thank you Lord that I am your masterpiece. I give you permission to keep molding and shaping me into all that I can be. Help me to see myself as you see me, and to take the time to explore what’s been deposited on the inside of me. In Jesus Name Amen.