You Are a Masterpiece
People ask me all the time how I can think of something to write about five times a week. The answer is, “God!” There was no way I could do it! I was obedient and three years later, He still gives me the words and passion. This is God’s grace and God’s goodness! I do not deserve it and I remain blown away that He could use broken, sinful me! Again, this is His grace and goodness! 1 Chronicles 16:34, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
Monday night Reverend Jared Lathem, pastor of The Gathering Movement, spoke at PVUMC for revival. He spoke of God’s grace and goodness. He reminded us all that we are all a mess and God still uses us. God makes us over into a masterpiece! 2 Corinthians 5: 17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” As he said, we are not bragging on ourselves but bragging on how God can use us! I love how he reminded us that if we were at church that night, it was not a coincidence. God wanted us there. When we think and believe that, I think we begin to see things that we believe were meant just for us. A gift from God brought to us by a line in a song, maybe the sermon or maybe by someone who speaks to us. Others do not know it but sometimes we may feel like it is a huge gift wrapped with just our name on it!
We see God’s goodness everyday all around us. People sometimes just think of miracles as turning wine into water, manna from the sky and so on. But I see miracles everyday. Look at the sunrise. Look at a flower. Look at the ocean. Look at your child. Look at a sunset. Look at how God has made you over! Look at how God has worked in other’s lives. Years ago, I decided to only praise God when I walk in the mornings. I could not ask for anything - just praise and I still love doing that. I thought that would be hard for 45 minutes but all you have to do is look around at creation! He is the Great Masterpiece! Hebrews 2: 4, “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
It is easier for me to see creation as God’s masterpiece but not so much myself! But as we were reminded, we have been made over! Not by makeup, a new hair style or a new outfit but by something permanent! God makes us over! Ephesians 2: 10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I began wondering if I have really ever seen myself? The true me. Not what the mirror reflects back but what God sees! His image of me includes the qualities that I received when my old self surrendered and died and I became His. This transformation is the new creation. We are new in Jesus and He has good things planned for us! Jeremiah 29: 11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Do you believe you are God’s masterpiece?
The next morning Reverend Latham spoke to the staff about being spiritual leaders. I had just heard another pastor speak on this recently reminding us that we all lead and/or influence someone. We may lead at a church, lead a group, lead at work, lead our children or maybe we are the child leading the parents. We all lead and or influence someone. And we all need to be spiritual leaders because the people out there in this world are famished! Matthew 5: 14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.“ Being a spiritual leader is an eternal mission from God.
Who do you influence?