More Than Salvaged

Scripture:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Reading:

“Look at this!” was a phrase on repeat as my friends and I wandered through 40,000 square feet of architectural salvage. Antique vendors and artists displayed their treasures, while home and garden décor made from discarded hardware filled the warehouse.

Some things had clearly lived more than one life. A piece of old machinery found new life as a coffee table. An abandoned propeller blade took flight again as a light fixture. Apparently, nothing in that warehouse was quite finished telling its story. The store even boasts that every find tells a story and every visit becomes an adventure!

I’m not sure what this says about me, but I was fascinated by things that had clearly been written off and now were beautiful. Somewhere between the antique doorknobs and rusty hardware, I started thinking about us. About what God does with things the world, and sometimes we ourselves, consider finished.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Those bits of metal and wood were separated from their original design and purpose. Yet someone saw something different in them. They were gathered, transformed, renewed, and given a new purpose.

How similar to the Christian life.

What if God sees you a little differently than you see yourself? Maybe you see the broken places, the poor choices, the years you'd rather have back. The things that make you wonder whether God could really have anything useful in mind for you.

God sees something else.

Thankfully, God is not intimidated by our junk drawer! He doesn't look at you and see a lost cause. He sees His workmanship.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

If you're anything like me, it's much easier to celebrate who you are now than to remember how desperately you once needed saving. Spiritually dead, separated from God because of sin, you followed the patterns of the world listening to everything but God’s truth.

But God.

God, who is rich in mercy, looked at you with a love so great that He refused to leave you where you were. Even when you were spiritually dead, He made you alive with Christ. Jesus provided everything needed for your salvation.

God didn't simply rescue you from death. He raised you up with Christ and seated you with Him. Your life is now bound up with Christ's. You belong to Him. You are His workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus and prepared for good works He has already set before you.

I am sure there's truth in that salvage yard's slogan, but there is an everlasting truth that is far greater: Every life in Christ tells a story of redemption. And when that life is lived close to Him, it becomes an adventure.

Your Turn:

1. Where in your life are you most tempted to see yourself as “finished” or beyond usefulness?

2. Where do you see God at work transforming you? Are you trusting Him with the process?

Prayer:

Lord God, I thank You that I am a new creation in Christ. I welcome You and trust Your work in my life. Please show me how to rest in Your goodness and obey Your guidance while You renew me. Amen.