For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… Ephesians 2:10.
The word in the Greek for “workmanship” in the quote above refers to a work of art. The New Living Translation renders it “masterpiece.”
Recently, I heard a talk by a landscape photographer. He spoke about going out “in the field,” as he described it, to take photographs. He called them “assets.” These are digital image files. Then he spoke about taking those assets and processing them to create a finished product, a work of art. The processing step includes minor changes such as cropping and tonal adjustments, and major changes such as removal of distracting objects.
He pointed out the need for both acquiring assets and processing them. There is no way of making art without assets, but the assets don’t become art without putting extra work into them.
Hearing this made me think about my experience as a Christian. I can acquire spiritual assets in a variety of ways—paying attention to the circumstances of my life, reading scripture, praying, listening to spiritually mature brothers and sisters in Christ, and reading materials such as this blog, to name a few.
All of these are good and even necessary. And having His life indwelling my spirit makes them attractive to me. But it isn’t until Christ Jesus processes them that they augment His life within me, allowing Him to permeate not only my spirit but also my soul.
This is transformation. It can’t happen unless we acquire the assets that He places in our path. Neither can it happen unless we cooperate as He does His work in our inner lives. Ultimately, He gets the masterpiece He always wanted.
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