What Else Is Life For?
I’m not an artist but I am grateful for those whom God has gifted to create something out of nothing. A blank canvas becomes a rushing waterfall surrounded by tropical trees and wildlife. A lifeless rock is chiseled into an elegant and beautiful woman. It is a fascinating process to see a piece of artwork created, and I will never cease to wonder and rejoice at the mysterious creative power of the artist.
Of those artists from years gone by, one of my favorites is Michelangelo. I heard a story one time about Michelangelo, and I’d like to share it with you.
As a young man, Michelangelo sought to become the apprentice of a master sculptor. Gazing deeply into his would-be apprentice’s eyes, the Master challenged Michelangelo’s commitment saying, “This will take a lifetime, you know.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Michelangelo responded, “Yes, I know, but what else is life for?”
What else is life for? Have you ever stopped to consider that, as a follower of Jesus Christ, God has called you to a lifetime of learning, growing, and becoming the person He has called you to be? In short, His masterpiece.
Following Jesus is a lifetime journey. Jesus’s invitation to all of us is the same as God’s invitation to Abram in Genesis 12:1: “Follow me to a land that I will show you.”
Follow me. None of us know the journey set before us. The only thing of which we can be certain is that it is filled with twists and turns, roadblocks and detours, bright victories and bitter defeats.
If I can borrow an image from art, there are many colors splashed across the canvas of our lives as we journey through life. Some of those colors are bright and cheerful, others dark and somber. But God, the Divine Artist, is at work through them all. And God is able to blend those colors together in ways we could never imagine to make of our lives a masterpiece.
I’ve been on the journey for many years, and I’ve observed others on the journey as well. And I think the most important thing I’ve learned along the way, is that God can use even the most painful and trying experiences of our lives for our good and His glory.
If you are like me, there are times when you are keenly aware of God’s presence and work in your life. On the other hand, there are times when God’s presence is hidden in the clouds and darkness of failure, discouragement, and despair.
But whether we sense His presence or not, God is constantly at work in our lives. In fact, some of God’s deepest and most life-changing work takes place during our fiercest battles and most challenging times.
In my book, “Masterpiece in the Making: Life Lessons for Spiritual Growth,” I share some of my own struggles, many which I never shared during my thirty-six years as a pastor. More important, I share how God used these things to make me a better husband, father, friend, and neighbor.
I hope to be on this journey of life and faith for many more years, and I have no doubt that all of life’s colors, bright, dark, and somewhere in-between will continue to be splashed on my life’s canvas. But I’ve come to the place where, like young Michelangelo, I can gaze into my unknown future and ask that life-changing question that provides faith for the journey . . .
What else is life for?
