The Master Craftsman
How's it made? This week I got the answer to that question, at least for a glass vase. I got to be part of the demonstration by a master artist as he worked his craft with glass. He made a beautiful vase like the one in the picture, and we got to witness the whole thing from start to finish.
What struck me was the tools of his trade around the shop. They weren't much to look at: tongs, a hammer, a table, gloves. It's amazing that something so beautiful can be made using such simple objects. Of course it's not the tools that make the art, but the master craftsman who holds them.
It struck me that the tools of the Christian life are not that glamorous either. Daily Bible reading, prayer, alone time with God, regular church attendance. These might seem like ordinary things, but when God uses them in our lives he can make something glorious.
If I were to pick up those shop tools to use, I couldn't do much with them. But in the hands of the master craftsman they're able to do something extraordinary. Likewise God takes the simple tools of the Christian life and makes us into something beautiful. The artist can make beautiful glass, but it's only temporary. But when we are built up in the Christian life through God, it will last for eternity. Don't neglect the simple tools God uses to build us into the image of Christ.