His Workmanship

My wife and I are in the process of refurbishing a second home we own. Needless to say it has been a challenge. The bathrooms and kitchen have been gutted and completely redone; the floors sanded and refinished. While there is work yet to be done the project is near completion. When comparing this to our spiritual lives I am reminded of Paul's words in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." As we remodel the earthly, so does God the spiritual. The interesting thing is that both works contain similarities. I see three in particular that merit consideration. First, the project always cost more than you expect. We have spent far more than we intended on this house. The same holds true when God chooses to do a new work within us. We often find ourselves saying, "Lord are you sure this is what you want, the request seems incredibly expensive." Second, the project always takes longer than expected. We want it done yesterday, but reality sets in letting us know that the task is a process. So it is with God. He rarely finishes a work overnight. Normally, the job involves days, months, and even sometimes years to complete. Third, when finished you will always see things you wish you had done differently. If you were doing it over you might choose a different size room, color, or cabinet. The same can be said of God's work. After its all said and done we wish we had let God do more in us and through us. We realize the changes he wanted to make but did not force upon us would have resulted in our lives being much more attractive and worthwhile. Yet in spite of this, amidst all the disarray, inconvenience, and time consumption when we look back over what has been accomplished we realize the experience was worth it. Let me encourage you to always yield to God's hand allowing Him to fulfill his workmanship within you. Beleive me it will be worth it.