GOD MOLDS US INTO HIS MASTERPIECE
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“Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of Your hands.” – Isaiah 64:8 –
Are you clay in the hands of the divine Potter? Do you yield to your omnipotent, omniscient God? Is there anything keeping you from being pliable in the hands of your Maker?
“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”– 2 Corinthians 4:7
God’s mighty power dwells within us through His Spirit. We are His vessels, His jars of clay, where He has placed this priceless treasure. His plan is to mold and shape us into the people He created us to be… vessels of incomparable beauty and value in His eyes.
God can work miracles with these jars of clay… if we yield to Him. For it will be His power, not ours, that works through us. He is our power source. When we are mindful of this, we will not succumb to pride. We will exhibit the humbleness of our Lord.
“The essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison. It was through pride that the devil became the devil. Pride leads to every other vice. It is the complete anti-God state of mind.” – C.S. Lewis
Our God hates pride. For it was pride that caused Satan’s downfall. Satan, a created being, a mighty angel, chose to rebel against his Creator. He desired to be God rather than His adjutant. Pride emboldened him to attempt equality with the Most High. Thus, he was cast from heaven, losing all heavenly access.
“The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” – Psalm 10:4
Pride is desiring equality with the Almighty… to be God of one’s own life… to crown and enthrone oneself instead of Him. Pride is a sin that creeps into our lives subtly, and often imperceptibly. It requires vigilance on our part to keep it from taking over.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6
Since pride exalts self rather than God, it can cause us to place too high a value on our own abilities, power, possessions, opinions, education or status in life. We begin to think more of ourselves and less of others. Because all we are and all we have is from our heavenly Father, we are usurping His position when we allow this iniquity into our lives.
Pride leads to a preoccupation with the world and its ways. We tend to desire the attention, recognition and accolades of others. We covet their material possessions. We seek to hold sway over them with our talents, knowledge, enlightenment and accomplishments. Yet our friendship with the world causes enmity between us and God.
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis
Humility is quite the opposite of pride. Humility submits to God’s leadings. For He is the One who is to be enthroned in our lives. When we acknowledge that our worth comes from Him, we no longer need to prove our worth to others. We see ourselves from His perspective… as His beloved, valued and cherished possession. Our confidence rests in Him, freeing us to appreciate and value one another.
When our lives exhibit humility, we recognize and surrender to God’s power working within us. For He is creating a masterpiece out of us. In faith, we let go of the reins, letting Him be in control. We rest secure in the hands of the Master as He develops our talents and abilities for His kingdom and glory.
“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become, because He made us… It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” – C.S. Lewis
God is the Master Potter… and we are the clay in His creative hands. He designed us with a purpose before we were ever born. Yet He will not force His will upon us. When we freely choose to be His, to allow Him to make us into the best we can be, it is then that we truly become ourselves. Our personalities blossom. Our thoughts and our ways align more closely with His. We more clearly reflect our Maker.
Will you surrender to God’s mastery in your life? Will you humble yourself under His mighty hand? Will you be moldable, pliable in the hands of the Potter for His creative purposes? For He will fashion you into the person He created you to be… His divine masterpiece.
† Eternal Takeaway – By surrendering to God, we become clay in the hands of the Potter †
