Museums are fun, and my particular favorite is the Louvre in France. One visit does not do it justice. The sculpture exhibit was one of my favorites. The room was airy and bright, the sculptures breathtakingly life-like. The masterful work of the artists was reflected in every piece, none more so than the haunting “Femme Voilée,” the Veiled Woman. I left there amazed at how talented God made His creatures. My curiosity piqued, I looked up the work and lives of some of the artists. One in particular stood out, perhaps because of this quote attributed to him: Michelangelo.
“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”
— Michelangelo
That quote makes the obvious stand out. God made us in His perfect image, which means that inside this flawed, unfinished looking exterior is a perfect masterpiece worth ogling at. Do not believe me? Consider how much money tourists spend every year traveling to Florence just to stand in front of the statue of David. Or consider the draw of that one person in your life who is genuinely Christ-like, the one whose company you never want to leave.
As God’s creation, we bear His perfect image. As Christians, we are a block of marble being chiseled by the Master Craftsman, sanctified and freed from the worldly weight that does not belong in our makeup. Once we say yes to Jesus, the work begins. And slowly, steadily, the masterpiece worth ogling at starts to peek through. All we have to do is let go of the parts being chiseled away. They do not belong. He knows.
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
-1 Corinthians 6:11
I hope today you are reassured that you are in the safe hands of Jesus. The world may beat you down and you may feel broken or unworthy, but know that you are deeply loved. When you follow His lead and let Jesus work in you, the perfection begins, and it will all make sense in the end. See you on the other side. God bless you.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
-Isaiah 41:10
Dear God,
Thank You for rolling up Your divine sleeves and freeing me from the bondage of my sins. You could have left me to suffer the consequences, but You keep perfecting me in this life so that I may enjoy Your presence and peace even before I go Home to You. Thank You again and again for being such an integral part of my life. You are worthy of all the praise in the world. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.