Picture Taken from cover art of Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Imagine for a second. Father God standing in His workshop next to clay and other materials needed for sculpting. He turns to Jesus with a gleam in His eyes and says, “Son, I have an excellent idea. I will create for you a most unique person in your image. I will create _________ (Input your name).” Jesus smiles as he always does when of hear of when Father creates a loved one. “Father, this is a good thing. Let it be done as we say. It will be a pleasure to know them and reveal to them your love and how beautiful you created them in me.” Father nods and excitedly gets to work. First building the armature to make the outline of who they will be, then starts in with the clay and fires the sculpture to forever set the masterpiece. This masterpiece is forever set in the mind of Father and Jesus. He forever sees the finished product, nothing less. And it is good.
Have you ever considered how many of the sculptures are made? In the beginning stages they used something called an armature. An armature is a rigid framework that provides support and stability to a sculpture. It is mostly used in large sculptures that are made of a soft material like clay to keep it from slumping over (if you take out your clay and roll a long log then try to stand it on its end, you’ll notice how it has a hard time remaining upright). Armatures can be made of a variety of materials, the most common is a basic metal structure, but wood can also be used. Sometimes an armature is meant to stay inside the sculpture, as is the case with large plaster or concrete sculptures. For this type of sculpture, an armature of chicken wire would be made first, then fabric dipped in plaster is laid over the top to prevent plaster from dropping through the holes in the chicken wire. Other armatures are designed to come out of the sculpture. Some clay sculptures are initially held up with a metal armature and wadded up newspaper, which are then removed before the firing process
Maybe you are asking me why am I bringing this up? What purpose do I have to tell you about how amazingly, awesome of a masterpiece God made you to be??? That is an excellent question. There are things God is teaching me about identity, about who I am, and that I am not an unfinished work. Seeing myself as a finished work has opened my eyes to see others as the same. I don’t have the words to put in this blog to describe the masterpieces that are my squadmates and the masterpieces that are the people I meet. If we all saw ourselves the way God has revealed to me of the people in my life. We would all know how complete and awesome we really are. We wouldn’t be struggling to be whole or feeling like we will never be good. We would just walk in completeness!
A lot of this has come from conversations with my family, and especially the conversations with my squadmate, Alexandria Goad, about how God sees us. Therefore, my return question… Have you considered yourself? Not just your physical body, but your whole being spirit, soul and body? I would assume yes as most people; you have considered yourself. Do you see yourself as unfinished and incomplete, or mostly finished, or the wonderful creation that God has made? Most people I know see themselves as unworthy and unfinished. They see the armature not a finished work of art. So let me share how my Father in Heaven looks at you.
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be Psalms 139:13-16
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. Psalms 8:3-5
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
What kind of temple to you think God would dwell in? Wouldn’t a dwelling be considered home, comfortable, desirable? So why do we say we aren’t good enough if the master of the universe decided you were good enough to dwell in? Out of ALL creation God chose you, created you, dwells with you. It confuses the angels because God created many beautiful things but God considers us the highest of his creation to glorify and honor and set us at with Jesus in Heaven. How can we as the creation tell the creator that we aren’t complete enough? That we aren’t good enough yet and need to recreate us to be better? I imagine God shaking His head and smiling, “I have studied you even when you were just a frame in the secret place with me. I know every little detail of who you are. I wove you together because of Love. There is nothing better because I made you and love you. Everything in you and about you I created to show the world something unique, beautiful and wonderful and glorify and honor you for the world to see my masterpiece.”
It’s all perspective. Do we go through life thinking we are unfinished? Thinking, “Man, I am such a ‘hot mess’.” A screw up. Doing the same thing over and over again. Saying to God, “Why haven’t you finished me yet? Why is only my ‘leg’ complete? Or hand? Or head? But not much else?”
Or do we take Philippians 1:6, Colossians 3, Ephesians 4:24 and many more in a different light? I may not fully see that perfect statue. That perfect tapestry. But every day he is revealing to me more and more who I am. That I am complete. I am wonderfully made. I am a new creation made in the righteousness of Lord Jesus Christ. I am not this unfinished, mess of clay but I am clothed in glory and he sees that finished work in full. He is just showing me more and more of what he sees. He loves us all the more because he loves his beautiful masterpiece and wants us to be revealed.
This I pray for you:
Father, I thank you this masterpiece. They are such a wonderful unique person that are so worthy to be loved because You loved them first. Father, I just ask that You open their eyes to that complete work that they are in Jesus. So that they can see how magnificent they really are and they can see themselves the way You see them and to see others in the same way. I ask that they see the beauty of the creation You made. I ask that You take them into that secret place with You so You may show them how approved and validated they are by You. That darkness is filled with light so they see more clearly their own splendor in You. That darkness no longer can bind them into seeking validation from other sources. That validation approval from man and woman no longer has the power to pull them away from You but only drives them to You. They are fearfully and wonderfully made and I ask that You bless them, bring freedom and healing. Father, I trust You and love You with all my heart and love that You love them, too. In Jesus Name, Amen.
