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 we clay in the hands of the divine Potter? Are we yielding to our omnipotent, omniscient God? Is there anything keeping us from being pliable in the hands of our 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 Holy Spirit. We are His vessels, His jars of clay, where He has placed His 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 vessels 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 remember this, we will not be subject 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 God’s helper. His pride emboldened him to attempt equality with God. Thus he was cast from heaven, losing all heavenly authority.
Pride is desiring equality with God… to crown and enthrone ourselves instead of Him… to be God of our own lives. 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
Pride exalts self rather than God. Pride causes us to place too high a value on our abilities, our power, our possessions, our opinions, our education, our status in life. We begin to think more of ourselves and less of others. Since all we are and all we have is from God, we are usurping His position in our lives when we yield to pride.
Pride leads to a preoccupation with the world and its ways. We desire the attention, recognition and accolades of others. We covet their material possessions. We seek to hold sway over people with our talents, knowledge, enlightenment and accomplishments. 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 yields to God’s leadings. He is the One enthroned in our lives. We acknowledge that our worth comes from Him… and we no longer have to prove our worth to others. We see ourselves from God’s perspective… as His beloved, valued and treasured possessions. Our confidence rests in Him, freeing us to appreciate and value one another.
When our lives exhibit humility, we recognize and yield to God’s power working within us. He is creating a masterpiece… us. We have faith to let Him be in control. For He will develop our talents and abilities to be used for His kingdom and glory. We rest secure and content in the hands of the Master.
“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 even born. Yet He will not force His will on 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 bloom. Our thoughts and our ways align more closely with His. We more clearly reflect our Maker.
Will we defer to God’s mastery in our lives? Will we humble ourselves under His mighty hand? Will we be moldable and pliable in the hands of the Potter for His creative purpose? For He will free us to become the person He created us to be… His masterpiece.
