We Are Each His Poem
We Are Each His Poem.
“For we are His poetry, His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to accomplish good works that were planned beforehand by God, so that we could live out our lives by doing them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
“Handiwork” – (from the Greek word for “poem” or “poetry“). Each of us is a work of art thoughtfully composed by Creator God; a product of His artistic craftsmanship; a heavenly masterpiece designed by God and composed from His creative genius; a living example of God’s divine workmanship.
“Poetry.” Each of us is a poem in the flesh, a beautiful composition that is being purposefully edited and changed as we live out our life in Jesus. Sometimes He crosses some words out in life circumstances and replaces them with better words. But like the poignant song above by Mission House declares, “He doesn’t waste a word.” There are no bad words in our life poem that are irredeemable or can’t be improved. In a mysterious way we participate with the Author in the writing of our poem, and while doing so we probably waste a lot of words or insert the wrong words entirely. But somehow our Poet-Partner is able to compose a work of art to His eventual liking. Our life poem is written in partnership with a Genius and will become a masterpiece by the end. As reported by Karren Burton Mains in her book “With My Whole Heart,” her mother’s funeral included the inspired words of Dr. Mel Lorentzen, “God has just completed His poem entitled ‘Wilma Burton’ and His purpose is fulfilled in her. She has undergone her last revision. For her, all patterns are perfect now. Rhythm, rhyme and metaphor fit together beautifully and make marvelous sense. She has been entered in the Lord’s anthology of finished works. We came in today thinking of Wilma, God’s poem. Let us go out thinking of God, who wants to make each of us a work of art.”
Lyrics to the Poetry Song:
Isn’t it so hard for most of us
To find the kind of patience that will trust
The slow steady work
Of God beneath the surface
Every moment working for our good
Cause under all the snow is something green
Hiding in the winter is a spring
I know it will take
The barren field of heartbreak
A little time for a new rain to fall
I will not hang my head
His banner is over me
He said I am His poetry
He won’t waste a word
I’m gonna wait, wait on the Lord
Surely I’ve been wrong along the way
But I will not be called by my mistakes
Cause He calls me His friend
When all I see’s where I’ve been
I hear Him tell me where I am going
I will not hang my head
His banner is over me
He said I am His poetry
He won’t waste a word
I’m gonna wait, wait on the Lord
There’s no wound that He cannot heal
There’s no child too far gone
I’m the clay on His spinning wheel
He knows what I’ll become
I will not hang my head
His banner is over me
He said I am His poetry
He won’t waste a word
I will not hang my head, His banner is over me, He said I am His poetry, He won’t waste a word. I’m gonna wait, I’m gonna wait, I’m gonna wait, I’ll wait on the Lord.
Written by Taylor Leonhardt © 2021 Black Mtn Music (ASCAP) (adm at IntegratedRights.com).
“Created in Christ Jesus” – We are all made in God’s image, which means we were all created in the image of Jesus since He is the exact image of God. So we are re-created back into His complete image when we accept Him into our lives and follow him. Being “in” Christ means we are joined in union with Him in a way in which we are hidden within Christ who is inside the Father. So being “in Christ” means we are covered by His character, we have “put on” Jesus, as we grow into Him. We are becoming people who are able to demonstrate His character, and what He did we will do; where Jesus went, we will go; who Jesus is, we will become. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went all around doing good…” (Acts 10:38). So if He went about doing good, He is enabling us through His Spirit to do the same, living a lifestyle of doing good works.
“Good Works” – Any and all good deeds originate in God and are thus authentically, intrinsically good, genuine acts of goodness because their source is God. Good works reveal the loving character of God and point directly to His goodness. A good deed is one that is carried out so God gets the credit. A good work is one that completes an inner desire to please God by caring for others.
Destiny – Evidently, God has already assigned which good works we are to accomplish. In His unsearchable wisdom, God has a plan for each believer, His individualized program of good works for each of us. Each believer has a pre-planned life of good deeds that are ready to go, a pre-arranged, God-ordained good life. Since this divinely arranged program is basically an avenue of obedience for us in doing His will, our job is to ask His help in discovering the street maps for those avenues, finding what good deeds that the Lord seems to have ready for us to do. We all have a destiny for good deeds, God’s individual plan for each of us.
Is It Okay to Be a Do-Gooder? Maybe this introductory glimpse of various New Testament saints, not to mention the ultimate Saint, will be convincing that it is indeed acceptable, or even preferable, and actually necessary, to be a Christ-following do-gooder:
- Jesus = “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” (Matt. 5:16).
- John the Baptist = “Live in a way that shows you have repented, bearing fruit that befits repentance.” (Luke 3:8).
- Paul = “Let us not grow weary in doing good… As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone…” (Galatians 6:9-10); “They are to do good, to be rich in doing good works…” (1 Tim 6:18); “All Scripture is breathed out by God… that the believer in God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17); “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help those with urgent needs.” (Titus 3:14).
- Peter = “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable… that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:12).
- James = “What good is it if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can that faith save him? Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. I show you my faith by my works. Faith apart from works is useless. Faith was completed by Abraham’s works. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:14-26).
- John = “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18).
- The Author of Hebrews = “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (Heb. 10:24).
Start with the Least Nearest You. Caring for others reflects the heart of God, and is grounded in the Biblical fact that all human life is sacred. There is a shared human dignity between all people, regardless of race, health, age, faith, status, station in life, the country of origin. Burden-bearing begins with those closest to us… our spouse, our children, our extended family, our church community, our neighbors in need, in that order. Any father or mother who, through a personal distance, or indifference, or overwork, or arrogant disdain, doesn’t bear the burdens of those closest to him/her in a personal and profound way, then that person is disobeying Christ. That person will not fulfill the expectations of Christ. That person does not reflect the heart of God.
“Continue bearing each other’s heavy burdens. In this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which is upheld by the Messiah Christ. Keep carrying one another’s overwhelming loads, and you will be truly obeying Christ’s Royal Law of Love. By your ongoing offer to stoop down and help shoulder one another’s crushing burdens, you will be completely submitting to the way Christ expects us to live.” (Galatians 6:2).