Carving Out The Masterpiece
Posted by Dion Todd March 1st, 2016 11,402 Views 0 Comments
If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light. Luke 11:36 WEB
After viewing the marble statue of David, someone asked Michelangelo, 'How did you know what to cut away?' The sculptor answered, 'It's simple, I just remove everything that doesn't look like David.' He knew what the statue should look like before he began his work, but it took him three years to carve away the pieces that did not belong.
They say that anything can be accomplished when it is broken down into small enough steps. I do find that when taking on large projects, it works best for me to break it into stages. I complete stage one, then focus on stage two, and so on until the project is complete. The way that you eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
It is important to not become overwhelmed. If you brought a bride to be into a house and showed her all the housework that she have would do, all the dishes that she would have to wash, all the dirty diapers that she would have to change, at one time, then the wedding would probably be off.
God is working on us in a similar fashion. He does not want us to remain in darkness, but He takes it a step at a time. That is why some teachings are so timely in our lives, it is the Holy Spirit at work uncovering things, reassuring us, comforting us.
We all have areas of our lives that could stand improving, but if it were all done at once, we could not bear it and would just give up. When we first come to Jesus there are usually more areas, and after we have walked with Him a while, there should be less.
Anger, lust, greed, idolatry, jealousy, envy, strife, out of control eating and drinking (gluttony and drunkenness), pornography are really just a few areas that the Holy Spirit will shine His light on. You know that thing that causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up when mentioned, the one that we tend to keep quiet about? That is the one that I am talking about. He will bring those things up one at a time until they are all gone.
Yes He loves us, and He will wash our sins away. But after growing up on a farm, I can tell you that it is hard to wash a hog while it is actively rolling in the mud. You have to wait for it to stop.
Work with God day by day on improving your life and do not try and get ahead of Him. Take it one day at a time and He will let you know what is on the to-do list. Walking with Jesus is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and He works with us individually and at our own pace. Don't compare yourself to others that seem more polished. In time, you will be as well.
God is working on a masterpiece that will take decades to perfect, you. He gently chips away the parts that do not belong there. Don't get too excited on the mountain top, and don't get too depressed in the valley, for this is a lifelong event.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your patience with me. Help me to be stable and learn to time my steps with You. Make what is important to You, important to me and help me to focus on that. Give me the grace to get through today, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
Note: Good morning! The highlighted group of the week is "Keep It Simple Crafts". Join in to learn and share about fun home crafts that you can make at home, even if you are only a beginner! ALSO, the topic this week for FAAD chat is "His Love is Forever" and will be a beautiful time of meditating on God''s unending love for us!