By
Allen White
For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
I
was driving down Cicero Avenue in Chicago a few years ago. For some reason, I
thought that this would save a little time driving from I-90 to Midway Airport.
The route was far from expedient, but it was educational.
The
light turned red. I stopped and looked to my left. At that moment, I saw a man
with ratty looking clothes and an unshaven face, lifting a bottle cloaked in a
paper bag and taking a swig. This is not an unfamiliar scene. What was
unfamiliar to me was my response. I didn’t think “That dirty old bum. I can’t
believe people live like that.” The thought that instantly popped into my head
was “This is not who God made you to be.” I surprised myself in that moment.
The
light changed. I began to drive, but I also began to think about that man.
Years ago, he was a precious baby cuddled his mother’s arms. Every person who
looked at his little face couldn’t help but smile. I doubt that he receives
many smiles his direction these days.
Most
of us will never be a bum on skid row. But, in our thoughts, our attitudes, our
actions, our priorities – are we who God created us to be? We are God’s
workmanship, His masterpiece. We are not our own workmanship. Believers are not
“self-made.” We are designed by God to do what God created us to do. The
problem is that we often misunderstand God’s creative process.
Sure,
we want to see how everything will come together. We all want to feel that we
are living a life that’s worth living. We want what Joseph had. “He succeeded
in everything that he did.” (Genesis 39:3) But, none of us want to be thrown
down a well (Genesis 37:23-24), sold into slavery (Genesis 37:36), falsely
accused (Genesis 39:17), and thrown into prison (Genesis 39:20-21). If we could
skip the process and just get to the final product, that would be awesome.
I’ve
always been fascinated by sculpture. The thought of taking a block of granite
or marble, envisioning the sculpture, then carefully removing everything that
is not part of the masterpiece is mind-boggling to me. But, this is the perfect
picture of God’s work in our lives. When we go through trials and hard times,
God is chipping away at the parts of us that don’t belong on His masterpiece.
It’s not pleasant. Sometimes we wonder if God cares about us at all. But, as we
trust His hand, we come to learn that His intent for us is for our good.
How
is God chiseling away at your life these days? Do you feel like you are living
the life God intended for you or is something getting in the way? Are you
resisting the work that God needs to do? Are you resenting it?
God
has a plan for you. You must learn to trust His hand.
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