His Workmanship

As promised, one of my recent thoughts finally typed...

“For we are His workmanship…” (Ephesians 2:10)

Imagine with me, if you will, a gorgeous piece of furniture. It’s hand-crafted by a meticulous and loving craftsman. It is ornate. It is beautiful. It is priceless. It is perfect.

“…created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

The craftsman has taken great pride in every step of the creation process, and he has a specific purpose in mind for his work of art. The choice is your own as to what piece of furniture you imagine. It could be any number of things.
An ornate bedframe.
An elegant buffet.
An amazing china cabinet.
An inviting dinner table.
A spacious dresser.
Let your imagination view what this incredible craftsman spent hours creating. His workmanship.

Knowing his specific purpose for his creation, the craftsman goes to find a new home for his work of art. The creation is purchased by a new owner who sets out to find a use for his new possession.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…” (Ephesians 2:1)

But, instead of being used for its intended purpose, the beautiful piece of furniture is stuck in an odd place. Instead of fulfilling its purpose, it is used and abused.

The bedframe is put in a child’s room and used as a jungle gym.
The buffet is put in a workshop and used as a work bench.
The china cabinet is used to store tools in the shed.
The dinner table is made into a corner booth in a truck stop.
The dresser is put on the back porch to store outdoor toys.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…”(Ephesians 2:4-5)

One day, the craftsman walks in. He sees the furniture. It is almost unrecognizable due to the years of abuse, but he knows his creation. There is no doubt in his mind – the hours of labor, the loving strokes, the patient and tender hand – it is his workmanship. He gives all he has to purchase back the furniture. Immediately he begins to work to restore the furniture. He places the furniture – even as he is restoring it – in its place of usefulness.
The bedframe in the master bedroom.
The buffet in a prominent position in the dining room.
The china cabinet holding the most precious pieces of china.
The dinner table centered to reveal its beauty.
The dresser in the most beautiful room of the house.

Maybe the full beauty has not yet been restored, but the craftsman knows that even as the restoration is underway, the furniture has incredible usefulness. Even as the grime and dents are being chiseled down and the carvings are being re-emphasized, the piece can still perform its intended task. No more abuse. No more misuse. Simply growth. A daily restoration to its intended purpose and beauty.

“For we are His workmanship…”