Work of Art

Did you know that the Bible says that we are God's masterpiece? Why do we look down on ourselves so much if God looks at us so lovingly?

God created many things - everything in fact - but humans were the very last thing He created. He created us in His image and with care. There are so many people in the world that struggle with accepting themselves for who they are. They don't like the way they look, the way they sound, their weight, their height. Some people will do anything to hide or change that unfavorable feature.

I like to have the idea that God work meticulously and very gently as He was creating each and every one of us, like how any artist works on their piece of art. I've tried to create art time and time again - it's not my forte. I do, however, love watching people create works of art on YouTube. They don't just rush through their piece, they take as much time as they need to (sometimes days or weeks depending on the medium of art) and put in every detail with purpose and care. Not one stroke of a painting goes without a purpose - every stroke plays a big part in the painting. They add so much detail, too! God put that same amount of effort (if not more) into us.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14

I love how this verse puts our creation. We are fearfully and wonderfully made - that has a good ring to it. It might sound weird that we are fearfully made. Well, if you don't know the definition and context it does sound quite out of place. Does this mean God was fearful when He made us? No! I did some research because I, myself, didn't understand the usage of fearfully in the verse. Fearfully usually means "in an anxious manner". Now, that doesn't mean God was anxious when He created us - although look at what humanity has come to. Fearfully has a different meaning when it's translated from Hebrew. Fearfully suddenly means "with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and with respect" rather than "in an anxious manner". That sounds more like it. Wonderfully when translated from Hebrew means "unique and set apart". We were created with great reverence. We are unique and set apart.

We are unique because God created us that way. He created us to be unique in our own ways - whether it's in our looks, our personality, or our talents/callings. Just because we're different doesn't meant we're wrong. When I was about 14 or 15, I got into embracing that it's okay to be different. I didn't like the idea of being different before then, and to be honest sometimes I still don't like it - I'm more of a blend in, stick with the crowd kind of girl. One day, I had somehow come across all of these quotes online that had really encouraged me to embrace that I was different than the people that I wanted to fit in with. Since then, I've been trying to become more comfortable with sometimes being different than others. I mean, if God created us all to be the same I think the world would be pretty boring. He created us to be unique - we shouldn't be so afraid to embrace our uniqueness!

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Another great verse! We are God's workmanship! We've been created to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us. I'd like to think that we each have specific works that He's prepared for us to do - each of us has a different calling in life, so it makes sense to me. It's so amazing to think that God had a special plan for each and every one of us before we were even born, before we were even a thought in our parents' minds. It's so amazing to think of how much our God loves us! He has set before us the way that we should go (potentially referring to these good works mentioned in the verse above) that we may walk in that way.

For as many people that have troubles accepting certain things or traits about themselves, there are so many people that find acceptance and joy in what God says about them. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, we are unique, we are chosen, we are His masterpiece, we are HIS! I've been trying for years now to remember and accept what God says about me rather than what I say about me. It's not always easy, but it fills me with so much more joy. I'd like to challenge all who are reading this post to focus on what God says about you rather than what you are thinking about yourself!