Works of Art

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

Because of his kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. Ephesians 8-10 (TLB)

One day at lunch, Tim Southern, from Massachusetts, went with a friend from work to the nearby Institute of Contemporary Art in the Boston Seaport District. Tim confesses his tastes lean more toward the masters, and he sometimes struggles with contemporary works of art. But that day, Tim saw several pieces that intrigued him. They were created from repurposed materials like scrap metal, old paper, and cardboard. Without having read the exhibit label on the composition, it would not have been obvious what medium was used. The old materials had been made into something new.

Something like this happens when we come to Christ. God turns all the stuff we bring into our relationship into something new. This transformation will likely be a gradual process; for although God can picture the final result, often the material needs to be reworked in the creation process. As God's finished creation, we will find all that was once there - our addictions, brokenness, heartache, and selfishness - is being shaped into God's masterpiece.

Prayer: Artist God, we give thanks for your transformation. Help us to be patient and to accept that change is not instantaneous. Open out hearts to the new possibilities of who we may become, in Jesus' name. Amen.