READ: EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 4:17-24; 5:2

Two thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s how hot glass has to be heated in order for it to be molded. When professional glassblowers have a glob of this molten material on the end of a tool called a blowpipe, they blow into it to create the shape they want. These artists can form glass into masterpieces. But they only have a limited time to do this. After the glass cools down, it can’t be molded or shaped anymore unless it’s reheated.

As Christians, we are kind of like works of blown glass. Before we knew Jesus, our hearts were cold and hard (Ezekiel 36:26). We were dead in sin and immovable in our selfish ways. But when we trusted in Jesus, He made our hearts warm so the Holy Spirit could mold us to become more and more like Him—more kind, more loving, more patient, more courageous… the list goes on (Galatians 5:22-23). Like a glassblower fills their work of art with the breath of their lungs and shapes it for its intended purpose, our Lord fills our hearts with love and shapes our lives so we can glorify Him and show others who He is.

We are His masterpieces, beautiful vessels pointing others to Jesus’s love. Today, let’s thank Him for breathing life into us and trust Him to mold us into the people He wants us to be—people who are, together, being shaped by His love. • A. W. Smith

• As Christians, we are Jesus’s masterpiece-in-progress. If you know Jesus, how has the Holy Spirit already shaped you to become more like Jesus? (Galatians 5:22-23)

• Growing in Christ can be a challenging process, just like the art of glassblowing. Why is it important to remember that we are fully loved by Jesus no matter how well this process seems to be going, and that He will never give up on us? (Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 1:6)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)