In Ephesians, Paul writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Some scholars translate the word workmanship as handiwork, accomplishment, masterpiece, creation, or even work of art. The Greek word used here is the word POIEMA. POIEMA literally means “something made” (in this case made by God), and it is where we derive the English word poem. The word brings to mind the image of a sculptor painstakingly carving lifelike figures into a rock, a woodworker diligently working to bring beauty to a piece of wood, or a painter creating a new masterpiece with each stroke of the brush. Perhaps the most accurate image is that of a poet sitting down to write, pouring all his being into his poetry. Any good poet will tell you that the best poems take lots of time and effort to create. They are usually raw and passionate. They are full of emotions and meaning, and great poems always come from the heart.
Think about what that means for us. We are God’s handiwork, His masterpiece, His POIEMA. Our existence is not an accident. Our lives were carefully and meticulously brought about by the creator Himself. In Psalms, it says that God “created our inmost being” and “knit us together in our mother’s womb.” The Psalmist declared that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We were created straight from the heart of God, and the designer Himself is writing a beautiful poem with our lives. No matter what you have gone through or what you have done, know that God created you and that He desires to have a personal relationship with His creation.
In the deepest, darkest moments of your soul, when you feel worthless and alone, remember that you are a masterpiece created by the same artist who hung the moon, the sun, and the stars. When you are overwhelmed by the storms of this life, remember that the same God who spoke the wind and the waves into existence is the very God who breathed life into you. And when you feel like you can’t go on, when you feel like your story has amounted to nothing, remember that you are still His POIEMA, and that He isn’t finished with you yet!
