I haven’t seen my girlfriend since the pandemic began. She recently did some work on her home and wanted me to see it. Instead of stopping by for a visit, I asked her to send me pictures of the restorations. When I phoned to tell her how good everything looked, she said it wasn’t what she expected. She planned to have one of the contractors re-do some of his work. She said to me, “He’s not too happy about it, but I could care less, and I’m not paying him any extra.” I suggested that it may be beneficial to discuss the details of her expectations with him amicably. I thought it would be better to bring everything out in the open so there’s no mishaps and misunderstandings in the end. My mother always says, “You can always get more with honey than you can with vinegar.” This is a truth that many people underestimate, but you can never overlook the reality that the more grace you exhibit, the more likely someone is willing to help you or work with you. Kindness is never in vain.
Ephesians 2:10(NLT) says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” We are God’s finest work, and He meticulously designed every aspect of our beings. This demonstrates His great love, and it also demonstrates that everything God does is extremely and thoroughly thought out. His plans are perfect in every way. This is one of the many reasons we must pray as the psalmist did in Psalm 51:10, that God will create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. Then we can be flexible to His Will and not try to force our own agendas. We’re masterpieces of God’s love, and He has shaped and molded us through Jesus Christ for a purpose that is pleasing to Him and will fulfill and please us as well.
Our Heavenly Father doesn’t make a mistake and His Will and Plan never fails. In Isaiah 43:7(NLT), He said, “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” We were created for the good works that God planned for us, so when we do things that are dishonest and lack integrity, we are not doing what He created us to do, and we’re going against His Will and plan.
God created us with love in mind. Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we can show forth God’s love, and we can do this in our personal relationships and through our personal interactions with others. Sometimes, we choose not to be a conduit of God’s love, because we feel we have to show strength and not appear to be vulnerable. We think it’s okay to cheat, and to try and unfairly get the most for the least. We don’t want people to think they have the upper hand. But in reality, this attitude means that we still have some growing to do when it comes to having faith in the power of God’s love. Humility is not born out of weakness; it’s born out of strength. Humility shows out and achieve results when it is supported with our unwavering faith that God always has our backs. It’s never about how other’s see us, but always about how God sees us.
Romans 8:33 says that God has identified us as His very own, therefore, no one can disqualify us. Our authority comes from Jesus Christ, and God has given him the highest seat of authority in His throne room. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must take on a greater level of love consciousness. We really should try to live like Christ and to do the honorable things he did every day of his life. When we are careful to leave a imprint of the love of Christ, God will not allow it to go unnoticed. He will reward our faith and help us continue the good works that demonstrate we are indeed God’s masterpieces, created from His great love. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Masterpieces of God’s Love” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.