Soul Care: Intentionally Shaping Your Identity Into God’s MasterpieceSample

Introduction

When you think of a work of art, what do you think of? Maybe you think of some of the classics like the Mona Lisa or the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. People come from all over the world to admire these masterpieces for their beauty and intricate details. The way that people value these works of art and hold them in such high esteem is how God sees you. He has made you with intricate details, pruning and shaping you into His masterpiece, His work of art.

We have all had periods in our lives where the challenges of life cloud our perception of how we see ourselves, but these challenges never cloud God’s perception of us, a work of art. At some point, we have all been in a place where some or all of our lives don't look like what we thought and it certainly doesn’t feel like what God intended for our lives. God sees us as being made for good works, His masterwork. He wants us to live a good life no matter the challenges we’ve been through. Our challenges come as no surprise to Him, they are a part of what makes us a work of art to God. Over the next 5 days of this devotion will help you discover the beauty and craftsmanship that God sees in you and how you can intentionally partner with Him to shape your identity into how He sees you, His masterpiece.

God’s Plan for Your Identity

We each have our journey of getting to where we are at this moment. We’ve had highs, lows, good times, and bad. All of these are a part of our story and what makes us who we are. Each moment has helped shape how we see the world, how we see ourselves, and how we see God. These moments have helped to shape our souls.

Our soul is our mind, will (behaviors), and emotions. For some of us, what we see isn’t where we want to be, and our soul is anxious. What if there was a way to change this? What if you could make changes by intentionally caring for your soul and partnering with God to shape your life into a shared vision?

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship [His own masterwork, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above - spiritually, transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set] so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”

God identifies us as His masterpiece, a work of art fashioned after Jesus.

God wants to use every part of you in partnership with Him. His plan for you is to incorporate every aspect of how He has made you and what He's called for you to be. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” God knew what we would have to offer. He knew what you would go through. His plan is to use all of us for His glory, even the parts that we have hidden. The problem arises when we fight against who God has called us to be or try to put ourselves into different compartments and only show part of ourselves. We do this because we are hiding that area, don’t think we’re good enough, or we doubt or are afraid of this area. Other times we do this because we don’t trust God.

God’s call for our identity is for us to be completely, fully, and wholly ourselves and for every piece of our lives to align with who He's called for us to be. Our job is then to live out our lives in the sweet spot of who we are and who God has called us to be.

Application / Reflection:

1. Have you ever thought about yourself as God’s masterpiece?

2. Are there any areas of your life hidden or buried because you thought God couldn’t use them?

3. In realizing that God wants to use every part of your story for His glory, what can you do to partner with God to do this?