You: A Masterpiece in Process
The Artist approaches the blank canvas. The vision of what He will create has been in His mind for some time; and now, with all the tools of His craft at hand, He will allow the rest of the world to see the beauty only He has yet imagined. With the first stroke of the brush a masterpiece is born; incomplete for sure, but that first drip of paint will be the first of many more. When the Artist’s process is complete, the once plain canvas, now full of color and texture, will serve as a window to the Artist’s heart and mind.
As I reflect on Philippians 1:1-9, I am moved to think of God, the Great Artist - the One who painted the stars in the sky, sculpted the mountains and valleys, set the rhythm of the seas and who wrote the melody the birds sing. This God who created the heavens and the earth is now at work in you! You may not feel like much of a masterpiece right now, but be sure of this: those who belong to Jesus Christ are being transformed to truly reflect his glory and beauty. We have this promise: the Artist is able to complete his masterpiece in us and through us! We don’t know when this masterpiece will be complete but it is ever on the horizon.
But what about now? We must remember we are a masterpiece in process. The Holy Spirit is at work in us, moving us toward a specific goal: Christ-likeness. This should be an encouragement to us that we don’t have to do this on our own. We cannot, on our own, become the masterpiece we are designed to be. However, we must not assume we are totally passive in the process. Paul repeatedly reminds his Philippian friends that there is a goal for which we must strive. There is a conduct or way of life that is expected of us while we are undergoing this process. We must never be satisfied with patterns of life which do not reflect the true beauty of the Artist at work in us. Always, with the end goal in sight, we must submit ourselves to the Artist’s work. In doing so we not only please Him, but like all great works of art will draw the attention of the world to the Artist.
It would be easy for each one of us to simply apply this to ourselves individually, but we must remember that Paul writes this letter to a community. So, while it is certainly appropriate to see yourself as a work in process, the same is true of the Body of Christ corporately. Jesus Christ is at work in his people, in both local communities of believers and the universal Church. God has a beautiful vision for Fusion Church as a gospel community. We are both individually and collectively the canvas for His artistry.
Close your eyes. Imagine. Dream. What will this portrait look like when it is complete? YOU, Fusion Church, individually and corporately, are a masterpiece in process….
Chael
2 comments:
Ever since I read this I've been thinking of this idea of God as Artist of our lives. It actually made me think of Bob Ross, you know, the painter on PBS with the afro and beard and soothing voice. I used to watch him paint all the time (we didn't have cable). Anyway, I remember that at times he would make strokes or add things that I would wonder what he was doing, or even think he had just ruined the painting. But a few strokes later it would make sense when he identified it as "happy trees" or whatever. Sometimes, his vision for the painting wasn't clear as he added things here and there, but looking at the completed work, I would see how he put it all together so perfectly to make a beautiful work of art. Often I don't understand God's strokes, but this is a great reminder that we are incomplete, but that the Artist knows what he's doing, and he will bring this work to completion. Thanks Chael.
What comes to mind after reading your blog is the reminder that God is truly painting for Himself a beautiful masterpiece where each child of His is really just a brush stroke (or two) on a large canvas where people's lives blend and bleed into one another. For me that's what true community looks like. There is an undeniable interconnectedness.
Now I know that I am God's workmanship and His treasure, but I can easily get caught up in thinking that I am this isolated masterpiece where I sit alone on a shelf, instead of being part of this greater work He's creating with the whole Body of Christ.
So, thanks for the reminder that we are all masterpieces of God both in and of ourselves, but that collectively we truly become God's magnum opus.
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