“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
When the brilliant Renaissance artist Michelangelo was asked how he set about sculpting his masterpiece David, he replied, “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”
Whether this story is real or not, it holds great truth in our walk with Christ. To become more like Jesus, we must allow God to chisel away anything that isn’t Christlike—the superfluous, the negative, the misbeliefs, the self-doubt—whatever is harmful to our spiritual growth.
The process may be painful; it might include areas of our lives to which we’ve grown attached, but how much more painful would it be to resist His Spirit and remain an unfinished work?
Michelangelo went on to say, “The more the marble wastes, the more the statue grows.” Less, so that we may be more; this is the paradox of grace.
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Published by Renee Srch
Born to an American father and a British mother, Renée Srch grew up in France where she obtained her French Baccalaureate. She attended IBME in Switzerland, graduating with a degree in Missions and Theology.
She is a wife, a mother to three boys, and a critter mom to two rescue dogs and fourteen rescue cats. Renée has led and taught writing workshops through the Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers and is currently a member of the Springfield Writer’s Guild and Sleuth's Ink, in Springfield, Mo.
Renée has published thirteen books under her given name. She also writes suspense novels under pen name R.J. Dawkins. She writes across genres and for all age groups. Her brand is Wholesome Books for the Whole Family. Besides her own books, she has contributed to four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, two anthologies, and published numerous magazine articles. She has received several awards, among which was an award from Writer’s Digest for her personal essay, Treasures from the Sea, and Global Library Award and Book Cover Award for Miracle Moments; Helping the Rescued Become the Rescuers. Her children’s book, It’s Dark in the Ark, was a number one bestseller on Amazon.
You can learn more about her work at www.ReneeVajkoSrch.com, https://www.facebook.com/ReneeVajkoSrch
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2 replies on “Bring Out the Chisel”
Bravo – you hit the mark with this one. Love the sculptor analogy. These are the types of things many of us avoid facing — not fun and cheerful, but I think I need to be more open to “God’s still workin’ on me To make me what I oughta be” as a 1980s chorus said (you wouldn’t know, you’re too young LOL).
Thank you for your comment, Lauri. And yes, I do remember the chorus. Such an important reminder that our Father is continually working to make us more and more like Christ.
Bravo – you hit the mark with this one. Love the sculptor analogy. These are the types of things many of us avoid facing — not fun and cheerful, but I think I need to be more open to “God’s still workin’ on me To make me what I oughta be” as a 1980s chorus said (you wouldn’t know, you’re too young LOL).
Thank you for your comment, Lauri. And yes, I do remember the chorus. Such an important reminder that our Father is continually working to make us more and more like Christ.