Molded Into Majesty

Picture these things with me:

A fashion designer with a bolt of luxurious fabric

A painter with a crisp white unused canvas

A writer with a ream of blank paper

A photographer at the Grand Canyon with a new roll of film

A musician with a finely tuned guitar

A carpenter with an untouched slab of oak

 

What is the common theme above? We’ve imagined the artist and their medium.  Now look closer at the artist. What do you see on their face? Inspiration. Excitement. Pure joy. Desire to create. Recognition of potential. Vision of the finished product.

Isaiah 64:8 (NASB) – But now, O Lord, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.

GOD is the artist and PEOPLE are His medium.

Do you realize that about yourself? Do you know that when our Father looks upon you he doesn’t see a block of clay, he sees the finished piece of pottery? He looks at you and feels inspired. He feels excited. He feels joyful. He sees the potential within you, because He put it there. He sees the finished product. He sees his masterpiece waiting to be brought to life.

There are phrases that we Christians love to use like “God’s molding me” and “He’s shaping me the way the wants”. I was speaking with a friend the other day, a friend who has a beautiful perspective on everything, and she said this, “I imagine if clay could feel, the molding process would be uncomfortable at times and like a nice massage at other times”.

That, of course, got me thinking. Have you ever seen a potter working with clay? My friend’s assessment is correct. There are times the potter is pinching, pulling, rolling, squeezing, and pushing on the clay to get it into the shape he desires. There are other times the clay is gently rubbed, caressed, and massaged to perfect its appearance. But the potter is skilled. His hands can be gentle or firm. He knows exactly what the clay needs to reach its full potential. To become the beautiful vessel he has envisioned.

When God is working on us, when He’s perfecting us, when He’s shaping us it can be difficult to take. It can be like those tough times of pulling and stretching. But it can also be a relaxing massage. It can be restorative and restful. We just have to trust His process. He is the artist, we are the medium. He sees in us the work that needs to be done to create a breathtaking work of art.

When we recite verses like Isaiah 64:8 and sing songs with lyrics like “mold me, use me” do we really mean it? Are we committed to being used by our Father however He sees fit or only until we’re uncomfortable?

IF you don’t allow The artist to work with His medium then you are stealing His joy.

You are squashing your potential.

You are robbing the world of inspiration.

Looking upon a godly work of art could spark a change in another person’s soul. God wants to use you. He wants to mold you. He wants to shape you into the person that displays His love. He wants you to be the creation that turns hearts toward Him.

Would you give Ernest Hemingway a typewriter but no paper?

Would you give Ansel Adams a camera with no film?

Would you give B.B King a guitar with no strings?

Would you give Van Gogh paints with no canvas?

Don’t be afraid to be the clay. The Father knows what He’s doing. HE is the artist and WE are His medium. Let Him create a masterpiece. Let Him mold you into majesty.