According to Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (New Living Translation)
God is no amateur potter, but an artisan who has already begun to shape us into a masterpiece. For He sees potential in us that we cannot grasp.
He moulds us, shapes us and occasionally chips away at us to reveal something beautiful. We are a work in progress, a masterpiece in process.
Late last year I posted about the need for “A Daily Refresh“* and the fact that “when we create spiritual habits and disciplines in our daily lives, they can assist us in connecting with and drawing closer to God, and going deeper in our spiritual journey with Him.”
Every now and again since then, I’ve been saving aspects of devotions that either appeal to me because they generate questions and/or concerns. Or when it generates a desire to explore the scripture or what is being said further so that I can gain a better understanding of it.
At other times it can simply be because I’ve been encouraged and want to praise God for what He is doing in and through my own life, or the lives of others that I connect with in person and/or online.
What follows encourages me in the coaching that I’m doing within The Salvation Army at present as well as what I’m doing with the development of Spiramentum Ministries.
You see, there’s a verse in Proverbs that’s often quaintly quoted when referring to a close friendship or a marriage. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (New International Version)
I’m sure we all want to encourage each other, cheer each other on, and sharpen each other emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
But when you truly think about the implications of such a description, this verse is anything but quaint.
Iron is sharpened through heat and friction, through cutting and slicing. As it is beaten, it is reshaped into something beautiful and purposeful and even better than before.
You see, sharpening is purposeful, but it can also be painful. It’s intentional friction that often results in a purer, stronger, sharper character.
We aren’t sharpened by thoughtless, careless, or unintentional relationships, but we are sharpened by those who lovingly help chip away the excess junk—who can recognize and visualize the masterpiece God wants us to become.
We are sharpened by the Holy Spirit, the part of God who’s considered the third “person” of the Trinity, the One who does the refining work. The Holy Spirit is like a personal and professional metal-worker who is skilled and deliberate, focused and detailed, trustworthy and true.
And the Holy Spirit works in and through other people in our lives – as we can be sharpened by mentors, coaches, pastors, spouses, teachers, counsellors, and friends. For God does not want us to live this life alone he provides others around us to help refine who we are, to develop us and guide us on our path.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
The thing is, we need to surrender to the work that God is doing within us and put into practice certain disciplines that will help develop and maintain us along the way.
For when we surrender to God’s refining work inside of us, we can help others also see the work of art in themselves.
It is not enough to surrender one area of our lives to Him. We need to surrender every crevice, every area, every part of who we are to Him so that He can complete the good work in us.
This was probably the motivation for Judson W. Van De Venter who in 1896 penned the Christian hymn “I Surrender All” that expresses the desire to surrender our whole self to Jesus.
The lyrics are “All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessèd Saviour, I surrender all“.
The hymn is based on the idea of total surrender to Christ, the complete submission of ourselves to Him. The submission of our hearts, our bodies, our lives, and our will to Him, without withholding anything back.
Recognising that we are masterpieces in process, He is chipping away those things that my hinder our relationships with Him and others. We are being refined, shaped, sharpened and made strong in Him.
So how can we surrender to God?
In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus gives us very clear instructions on how to surrender to his loving authority: “Jesus said to His followers, ‘If anyone wants to be My follower, he must forget about himself. He must take up his cross and follow Me. If anyone wants to keep his life safe, he will lose it. If anyone gives up his life because of Me, he will save it.’”
(New Life Version)
In this passage, there are four challenging but necessary steps to take ‘if we want to lead a surrendered life‘ following Christ as our Lord and Saviour:
- Be open to surrender
- Deny yourself
- Take up his cross
- Follow him
So today, as you listen to the below video of “All to Jesus” performed by the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army I pray that you will allow God to sharpen you by being open to Him working in and through your life.
Ask Him to reveal the parts of your life that need to be refined, and then surrender to the work He wants to do inside you.
* Daily Refresh can help us each to visualize our consistency in seeking God, assisting us to cultivate a rhythm of reflection, and start a conversation with God. It is not intended to replace your existing bible reading plan / study or prayer guides etc. it has been designed to compliment it.
I encourage you to cultivate a habit (if you haven’t already) of daily reading and reflecting on the Word of God and listening. If you’d like to explore how a daily refresh can assist you in connecting with and drawing closer to God then check it out here.
I’d also encourage you to share what you’ve read with an accountability partner, mentor, spiritual guide or coach, so that they can support, guide, and encourage you on your faith and life journey.
Blessings ’til next time 🙂
The life and times of Perry... 