Chiseled
The sound is deafening. Metal against stone; earth against earth. Unstoppable force meets immovable object. Chisel wins the battle and a hunk of rock flies off the stone and skitters across the floor. The stonemason stops for a moment to examine his work. Any flaw left in the stone will not only effect the aesthetics of the building, but will effect every stone placed after it, and could effect the strength of the building. This stone must fit with the angles of the cornerstone, or it is of no use in the building.
The strong, calloused hands of the stonemason brush away the grit left over from the last few blows of the chisel, revealing a few more jagged edges and bumps that must be smoothed away. And so the stonemason picks up his hammer and chisel and continues to work. He will work on this stone until it is smooth; until it fits into the plans he has for the building.
When he is finished, he will lift the stone into place, and there it will support the weight of the roof, and protect those who seek shelter.
"Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house."
—Psalm 113:1-3
Sometimes it seems that the blows never stop. Between the bills, rising prices, stress at home and at work seem to overwhelm us. It seems that someone out there knows just what buttons to push to work us up. Stupid drivers, never-ending road construction, noisy kids, demanding bosses, resume rejection after resume rejection, collection calls, expensive gasoline, grass that grows too fast, college tuition, adult kids who refuse to grow up, and a million others that I have neither the room nor the creativity to print—we are bombarded.
What if? What if these are not attacks by the enemy of our souls to frustrate us? Rather, what if these are chisel points? What if our response to these events reveals a rough edge that must be smoothed, and so the chisel strikes again and again.
Being living stones built into a spiritual house sounds like a grand and beautiful concept of unity, until you know what a stone goes through to make it into the building. This is why Peter urged his readers, "Let yourselves be built…" As a living stone allow yourself to be a useful stone. Submit to the chisel of God.
Homework this week: When you feel overwhelmed or frustrated, ask whether it is simple frustration, or whether it is God's chisel attempting to knock off some bumps that do not match the cornerstone. Pray: "Merciful God, give me the strength to endure the chisel. Give me wisdom to freely let go of those traits which do not match the cornerstone. Shape me into a usable stone to support and shelter your people. Amen"
The strong, calloused hands of the stonemason brush away the grit left over from the last few blows of the chisel, revealing a few more jagged edges and bumps that must be smoothed away. And so the stonemason picks up his hammer and chisel and continues to work. He will work on this stone until it is smooth; until it fits into the plans he has for the building.
When he is finished, he will lift the stone into place, and there it will support the weight of the roof, and protect those who seek shelter.
"Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house."
—Psalm 113:1-3
Sometimes it seems that the blows never stop. Between the bills, rising prices, stress at home and at work seem to overwhelm us. It seems that someone out there knows just what buttons to push to work us up. Stupid drivers, never-ending road construction, noisy kids, demanding bosses, resume rejection after resume rejection, collection calls, expensive gasoline, grass that grows too fast, college tuition, adult kids who refuse to grow up, and a million others that I have neither the room nor the creativity to print—we are bombarded.
What if? What if these are not attacks by the enemy of our souls to frustrate us? Rather, what if these are chisel points? What if our response to these events reveals a rough edge that must be smoothed, and so the chisel strikes again and again.
Being living stones built into a spiritual house sounds like a grand and beautiful concept of unity, until you know what a stone goes through to make it into the building. This is why Peter urged his readers, "Let yourselves be built…" As a living stone allow yourself to be a useful stone. Submit to the chisel of God.
Homework this week: When you feel overwhelmed or frustrated, ask whether it is simple frustration, or whether it is God's chisel attempting to knock off some bumps that do not match the cornerstone. Pray: "Merciful God, give me the strength to endure the chisel. Give me wisdom to freely let go of those traits which do not match the cornerstone. Shape me into a usable stone to support and shelter your people. Amen"