Creator, Creation

Recently Dr. Jeffress used the illustration of a sculptor and a marble slab from which he carved a handsome lion. Someone asked how he had managed to transform a slab of stone into the likeness if a beautiful, powerful animal. His reply ? “I just used my tools to remove everything that didn’t look like a lion.”

I wonder, though, what if we asked the stone slab its opinion of the process? Might it have rebelled, complained, shrunk away from the sharp blows of the hammer and chisel? Certainly it wouldn’t have been comfortable or pleasant. And when work was complete, might the stone lion have preened a little, just a bit proud of his newfound beauty, forgetting the artist’s technique and physical labor responsible for his transformation?  Don't we sometimes forget the source of our own daily successes  and forget whose Hand was on the tools shaping us?

Today a commonplace description of a successful, well-known corporate leader is a "self-made man". Hearing that often, the man thus described can get puffed up in pride over his success in this world. I sometimes wonder about God's opinion  on this subject. I guess it just depends on which world where you seek to excel and your (and His) definition of success.

A favorite old hymn came to my mind, not commonly heard in this new century:

                Have thine own way, Lord.

                Have thine own way.

                Thou art the Potter;

                 I am the clay.

                 Mold me and make me 

                 After thy will.

                 Here I am, waiting, Lord,

                 Yielded and still.

 I believe I can safely agree to God's definition of success.