Submitting to the Chisel

Someone once asked Michelangelo, how do you sculpt such beautiful masterpieces from a piece of rock? His response, “I see the image in the rock. All I have to do is chisel away what doesn’t belong.”

The Bible tells us that every person is made in the image of God!!

This can be hard to believe. Just take a long look at world history and the sufferings of man.  In fact, we don’t even have to look that hard. Turn on the TV, listen to the news, pick up a magazine or look out the car window when you’re driving down the street. Better yet, look in the mirror. To the naked eye…we see hard, ugly granite!

But not God. He sees the beauty in the rock!!

Like a Master Sculptor, God is at work chiseling away what doesn’t belong.

I picked up a book the other day on marriage. My hubby was comfortably sitting on his recliner with a cup of tea while I read the introduction out loud. We couldn’t help but smile as we were reminded that marriage is one of those chisels.

Oh, how I remember the chisel hammering away at the ugly that needed to be removed. Never a pleasant experience!! And in all honesty, I didn’t always recognize the Hand behind the chisel. Having children, financial hardship, the loss of dreams, suffering through cancer, caring for an aging parent, and the list goes on…

All were chisels in the hand of God!!

Well, I’m kind of a slow learner…but I am beginning to see the beauty in the rock.  “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

So, note to self…quit whining and complaining, and running from the Master Sculptor ☺

Submit to the chisel for God is good and rich in mercy.  His desire is to cut away the ugly and restore the beauty of His image in us!!!