I recently picked up carpentry and I’ve been working on a project for my girlfriend. This is the FIRST project I’ve done and there have been a few learning curves I’ve had to drift through to find the most effective ways to complete my task. I first set out by cutting my wood into the lengths I needed. I don’t possess a workstation yet, only a basement with some tools and a makeshift table (a metal-framed dog bed, I know, quite the workstation). I kept splintering the wood until I was shown by my stepfather the pressure I needed to put on the lumber to the frame of the dog bed to keep it steady when I cut off the lengths that I needed. 

 

If it wasn’t for this help, the pieces came out splintered and uneven and unable to work with. The Lord wishes to take us, bend, mold, replace, prune/cut into us so that what he creates in our new lives is glorious and wondrous and righteous, but this requires pressure. A pressing into the Father, for without this steadiness, this sturdiness, we found ourselves chipped and feeling uneven. 

 

With all our might we must push, harder and deeper into Him. In a time where the number of things competing for His place in your heart could possibly be at an all-time low, take advantage. Let Him carve his masterpiece. Allow Him to sand off the impurities, to nail together your virtues as habits, to even burn the wood so that even in our greatest times of struggle, we see what God can create through being the Greatest artist to ever be!

 

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4 NIV)

 

And just as wood cannot become a chair by itself, no branch can bear fruit by itself; the branch needs the vine as the wood needs the carpenter. God is the ultimate Carpenter. His attention to detail in every design is unique yet perfect, we just have to let Him go to work.

 

This means everything. Every activity we do; give it up to Him. How do we keep consistent in our faith? Give your lumber to the woodworker. He possesses the table, the tools, the plans, the vision for what we can be. We, including myself, need to learn how to sit down and ask God what He wants, and not what we want. You want to find consistency in life and faith? There’s a decision to make. 

 

Our plan: the plan we know how it will go but don’t know the ending. 

 

His plan: the plan we don’t know where it’ll take us, but we know the ending is good with 100% certainty. 

 

Both of these plans require faith, the first is in ourselves, the second is in God. We have the choice to choose one or the other every second of the day. Choose good, cease to do so He can do what only He can do.