It’s Friday…It Has To Be

The more I see what is happening in our world today, the more I realize we’re involved in a lifelong art project. We all want our lives to turn out the best possible way, so we are consumed with crafting circumstances, people, work, and dreams to our advantage. We plan for the best education, the best job, the best family, the best neighborhood, the best everything we can think of, constantly positioning ourselves in the shape we want our lives to be. Whether consciously or not, we are all very diligent craftsmen. And some of you are really, really good at what you do.

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.”  (Jeremiah 18:6)

There’s a craftsman more skilled than us, though, and if we would trust Him to shape us into something more beautiful, He would. After all, clay can’t really do much on its own. When we try to make art of ourselves, we end up with slightly reshaped clay. But when the Master Artist makes art of us, His work can be breathtaking. He has a greater vision of beauty than we do.

We are reluctant to relax in the hand of The Potter for one main reason: we forget why we exist. We assume that clay exists for the sake of its own feelings or dreams. We focus on “clay esteem,” “clay actualization,” or “clay fulfillment,” oblivious to the infinitely larger purpose of our formation. Clay really exists for The Potter alone. When the Artist is allowed to do His work, the clay displays the creativity of His heart and mind.

The question is, are we allowing The Potter to do His work? Let’s never resist it, even though there is no guarantee that it will be a comfortable process. In fact, it almost certainly won’t be; if clay had feelings, the bending, twisting, and pressing would likely be excruciating. The trials of our lives are like the tools of The Potter. They gouge us for the sake of beauty.

But the finishing product is glorious. It Has To Be; it comes from the heart of The Potter. Let’s trust Him completely. There’s nothing more beautiful than His artwork.

Have a relaxing weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who have learned that when they are still before Him it hurts less when He is shaping and crafting His perfect work in them. And they’ve learned that His gouging leads to His ultimate glory and theirs.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)