Psalm 139:14 – I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (KJV)
Me, a work of art? I don't think so, not me, impossible. I constantly fight the battle of the bulge, or my nose is too big! Too small! Familiar words? Do you have an on-going battle to accept yourself as you are? We live in a society that says slim is in! And if you can't slither into a size five then there is something wrong with you.
Some years ago I had the opportunity to visit a pottery shop. The first thing I noticed was the variety of pots on display. There were flat pieces, just right for holding a piece of pie or any kind of solid food. There were bowls, just dandy for holding hot soup. Just imagine if the potter had made all of the pottery in the same shape. Can you visualize pouring hot soup onto a flat plate or holding your sandwich in a teacup?
I saw beautifully shaped, tall vases, just perfect for holding long stemmed roses. But try to picture fitting a long-stemmed rose into a coffee mug. It would do the rose such a disservice. There were bright and shiny pieces of pottery, so brilliantly coloured that they jumped into view. Other pieces that appeared more subdued were equally beautiful when carefully viewed. Each piece of pottery in the pottery shop had been designed with a specific purpose in mind, and the potter knew just the right specifications necessary to make each piece a work of art.
So it is with the Master Craftsman. He has created, molded and shaped each one of us to His specific design. Then He placed us into this world, His pottery shop, to fulfill the purpose for which He created us. Some people He has designed to be like the vase. Theirs will be a position or purpose that will require them to reach greater heights than others will. There are those who will be out-going, surrounded by friends. Their bright and bubbly dispositions make them a delight to have around. There are the shy, reserved types, who at first glance may appear uninteresting and uninviting. But just like the more subdued pieces of pottery, these people, if given the opportunity, will enhance our life.
Which category or type of pottery are you? We may vary in personality, nationality, colour, appearance, position and abilities, but our substance is all the same: clay! We can work to change our exterior, and perhaps we'll succeed. But only God can change the interior and make you and me a work of art.
- Something beautiful, something good,
All my confusion, He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife;
But He made something beautiful out of my life.
Prayer: Precious God, eternal and everlasting Father, thank You for creating us according to Your plan and purpose for our life. Help us to fulfill the purpose for which You designed us, and in so doing, may we bring glory to Your name. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
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