Crafted by the Master 
By Mike Rule

So often it is easy for us to be confused about how we can be a completed work in Christ and yet at the same time know that who we are at our worst moment be who we really are. We understand that sin is no longer our nature and Christ is our nature and life; we are a new creation in Christ. Yet at the same time, we know that no good thing dwells in our flesh and the worst of our flesh indicates our true condition. Scripture reminds us to not think higher of ourselves that we ought; yet God tells us so much to build us up. How do we reconcile this? Am I garbage or do I have something that is of great worth to offer God? In the midst of our struggle and internal turmoil we cannot make sense of it. When we are in this condition our only hope is that the Lord to minister to us so we can find peace and rest for our souls.

I liken us as humans to being created by a master carpenter. Like a fine piece of furniture we are carefully and masterfully crafted. But just like other fine furniture, through sheer use and time in this world we get bumped and scarred and marred and we lose our luster. We have sin issues to deal with as well as emotional baggage to sort through. We do see the spots in our lives that are still unmarred and "good’ but we hate to see the marred and damaged spots. Perhaps we are looking too closely. If we could back up and see things from God’s perspective we would see that the mars, bumps, and scars are part of what has taken us as a fine piece of furniture and turned us, through sheer time and living, into a treasured and valuable antique. With all our blemishes, we are even more valuable than when we were first created.

In spite of all we have been through, our master craftsman is now even more intoxicated with our beauty. He is thrilled because in spite of all our faults, we are HIS possession. If we deny ourselves and desire Him in spite of our fleshly cravings for perfection, tears of joy well up in His eyes because He is well pleased with us; we are precious to Him. He treasures us because each mark represents a bump in life that is part of our journey of finding Him to be our all in all.

Article # - LCMI – 2004-192: 7/12/2004