“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
A recent trend in fashion around the world is taking an old worn out pair of jeans and turning them into a fashion masterpiece. What most men and women see as worthless, the designer sees as valuable! A designer takes the faded pair of jeans, full of rips and tears, decorates them with jewels and colored thread; then they sew their name on them and call them works of art. Some of these jeans sell for thousands of dollars, where before they would have sold for $1.00 or $2.00 at a thrift store. I always marvel when I discover one of these pair of jeans for sale and wonder what went through the mind of the designer when they decided to make them.
When I see a person who has come into or come back to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I often think of those designer jeans. The trauma a person goes through in life whether inflicted on them by others or whether they inflict it on themselves, leaves rips and tears in their soul. Their mind, will, and emotions, are affected by the trauma they experienced. Some of these people even have visible scars, piercings, or tattoos on their physical body as evidence of the life they lived during the traumatic years. We can only see their outward appearance and the way they communicate. If they came out of a lifestyle of crime, drugs, gangs, or other hardcore activities, many people have a hard time seeing their value and worth. But when God looks at them He sees incredible value!
He is the master designer who sees beyond the surface of their lives and looks at their heart, just like the designer of the jeans looked beyond the appearance of the jeans, and saw the jeans potential. He knows that if they will allow Him to redesign them, He can turn their life into a masterful work of art! He also knows that when they give their testimony, it will draw the attention of the world, just like those jeans do when they are on display at a fashion show. And just like the people who come to understand the value of those jeans and want more of what the designer has to offer, the people hearing their testimony will want more of what the true Designer has to offer! The difference is that the person giving the testimony gets the opportunity to introduce the people to the Designer Himself!
I am living proof of this. I lived a hard life during my teen years and when I came back into a relationship with God many “religious” people judged me for the life I lived. They didn’t see my value and worth. All they saw was a person, who had done drugs, lived a promiscuous life, one who had abortions and a child out of wedlock, and one who cussed like a sailor. They judged me and deemed me worthless for ministry because of my past. God on the other hand, saw incredible value in me and redesigned my life into a masterpiece work of art.
Today when I give my testimony lives change! I am not ashamed of the rips and tears anymore because God took them and redesigned them for His purpose! I have seen teenagers get off drugs and come out of promiscuous lifestyles. I have seen women and teens change their mind about having an abortion. I have given people hope and helped them discover their purpose. I have seen miracles, signs, and wonders take place in the people’s lives who hear my testimony. And the greatest joy in my life is when I get to introduce those people to the master Designer, Jesus Christ!
There is no greater accomplishment in this life than to proclaim the awesome power of God to change and transform lives! It beats any award you could ever receive or any promotion you could ever get. Every day when I look in the mirror I no longer view the rips and tears of my life as negative. I see what the master Designer sees. I see incredible worth and value! Maybe you have parts of you past life that you are ashamed of or are afraid to talk about. I want to encourage you to allow God to redesign your life so He can use your testimony to bring Him glory and to introduce people to a relationship with Him. Maybe you are the person who has judged others by their appearance or their lifestyle and you never saw them as valuable for Kingdom work before. I want to encourage you to ask God to give you His heart for these people. Reach out to them and sit with them. Ask them to share what God has done in their lives. We are all God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, and when we embrace that truth our lives, and the lives of those around us, change forever!
Prayer: Thank You for being the Master Designer of my life and for placing incredible value on me. I praise You for taking all the rips and tears of my soul and turning them into a masterpiece work of art for the world to see. May I see what You see in me and in others and not judge by what my eyes see or my mind remembers. I believe by faith that when I give my testimony of Your great love and power to change lives, people will want to know You, and I will get to introduce them to You. Thank You for loving me so much and for calling me according to Your purpose! Amen
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