“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.
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.