If your life were a piece of art, let’s say a painting, what would it look like?
Would it look like this?
Or this?
Do you “feel” like a masterpiece?
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)
For us to better understand this idea of God’s creating us as a masterpiece, we need to make sure we have a reference for God’s perspective.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:9 (ESV)
Visual Aids
When I was younger, I would read this verse and think of ants. Ants are very small compared to us, but they are very organized, have a social structure and very industrious. They have some understanding of time and seasons. Do they see my interactions with them as an “act of God” when I pour boiling water on them because they are undermining the structural integrity of my patio, or when I step on some of them by accident on a walk? Can they possibly fathom our society? Technology, The arts? The difference between Kansas and Japan? They know only a small fraction of the complexity of the bigger world around them.
So back then, I thought that was a pretty good analogy of how much bigger God was than me. But now, we have YouTube, so we have a better visual aid on just how high those heavens are from the earth.
Check this out:
I don’t think the creator of this video has a biblical worldview, but I see an absolutely amazingly, stunning God. And did you get that part at the end about the sand? It just blow my mind!
Small but significant
This video might make you feel pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But oh, no! We are extremely significant. And now we can better understand Ephesians 2:10: the very God that created the heavens, created us. WE are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that he has before ordained that we should walk in them.
So before the beginning of time, LONG ago, God thought you up! He designed every part of you and all the good things he was going to cram pack inside you. And out of all of history, HIS story, he picked this time and place for you to live. For His purpose. Your story in His story.
You know, this life isn’t about us! We think it is, but this “workmanship”, this “masterpiece” that He’s creating…guess what He’s painting us into? JESUS! Those of us in Christ undergo his process of redemption and sanctification that transforms us into Christ.
Well, I can say that I certainly don’t feel like my life is a masterpiece. That goes back to how big our God is. We’re in the weeds and we have no concept of our life from his perspective.
Another visual aid
Last winter I drove to work in the dark every morning. Not very exciting. One morning, I had to take my daughter to an appointment and went in around 8am. As I drove from the east side of town towards the west, I saw the most amazing view: glorious blue sky, brilliant white snow on the mountains, sunshine everywhere–all of which was beautiful! But there was also this dark, dramatic wisp of low hanging cloud over the foothills that just made my big picture view absolutely stunning!
Now the next week, I had a completely different perspective…it was a similar scene, except this time, I drove from the big picture sunny view into the dark, dramatic wisp of low hanging cloud. Well, let me tell you…in the cloud was not stunning! It was dismal, disorienting and depressing. Snow was swirling around and I couldn’t see anything! Same scene, but different perspective!
God has the big picture view that includes all of his promises for a hope and a future for us that we might not be able to see or believe yet. We’re in the fog and can’t tell where we are in the process…
It’s all about Perspective
Sometimes, we get to see the big picture view of our life—when the clouds part and we can see how far we’ve come—the progress that we’ve made, maybe even a brief look ahead at what’s to come. But most of the time, we are too close to a situation to be able to see anything but the yuck.
For so many years, most of my experience was feeling like I had been enveloped by the thick clouds that were gloomy at best, and often full of storms. I couldn’t see where I was going—if I was even going anywhere. After awhile, I just wanted to give up! Sometimes I felt the Lord’s presence…most often I felt abandoned.
But, as it happened, that season ended, as seasons always do.
Seasons don’t last forever
I’m in a different place, and it’s a little brighter. I still can’t see where I’m going, but life isn’t as gloomy as before. Looking back on the long, dark season, I realize how much God showed me about his character, about his promises to me, about trusting him even when I couldn’t see/feel him. It was all to prepare me for the next leg of my journey.
What season are you in? Is it a really yucky one? If you changed your perspective about what you’re going thru and trust that our big, ginormous God has got you—even if it doesn’t feel like it—could you hang on a bit longer? Hold on a bit tighter? Find strength you didn’t know you had? Know that he’s working in ways you can’t even fathom to help you fulfill those plans he created for you to do. You’ve got purpose in this life! Don’t give up, Lovely One! You are a Masterpiece!
