Reflection:
One of our good friends, Ian, is an architect and a visual artist. When I asked him about his favourite Bible verse, he began by telling me about his time as an architect. During those decades, he said, there were often days when the combination of his workaholic tendencies and the stress of big projects nearly crushed him. He realised he was being driven by fear — fear that he wasn’t good enough, or fear that he could be sued. In that context, Ian remembers reading Ephesians 2:10 and, for the first time, thinking about it emotionally and artistically. He learnt that the Greek word for ‘workmanship’ is poiema — the basis of poetry, or a work of art — something created with great beauty. The truth struck him in a fresh way – that God is shaping us, as individuals (and as the people of God), to be the works of art that God wants us to be. It’s a beautiful image. Back then, the truth helped Ian to work graciously, in the office context. His prayer slowly became, ‘Lord, help me to be your handiwork’, rather than ‘Lord, help me to be good enough.’ It was a significant and wonderful difference.
Prayer:
Lord, I know that my hands are often busy and distracted trying to be good enough. Please help me to rest in your truth that I am your poiema, your handiwork, and that you invite me to be part of your mission for the world.