FINGERPRINTS OF THE ARTIST

Jackson GarrellCircles

One spring break, I took a highly-anticipated trip to a famous museum in Paris. It’s called the Louve. I am convinced that is just French for “the line.” It seemed like the whole winding walk through the facility was basically a mile-long line. However, that was one impressive wait! While moving through, I saw some of the most beautiful art int he world. Masterful works by Monnet, Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Da Vinci decorated the winding hallways and galleries. All the motion in this museum leads to one final room — the home to the most famous painting in all the world.

With a thousand people crammed around me, I was standing in front of the most underwhelming sight I had ever seen. There it was, surrounded by bullet-proof glass and armed guards, the Mona Lisa. I do not want to offend any art connoisseurs, but it wasn’t all that impressive. It was an ordinary portrait of an ordinary person with nothing else going for it. Plus, it was small. This whole painting is about 8 x 11, which is the sizeof a normal piece of notebook paper. It was no bigger than your math homework.

Here is the wild thing about that painting. It is insured at over $100 million dollars. That can buy dozens of mansions, thirty Roles Royce cars, or 300 million chicken nuggets. That is an insane amount of money. Here is the kicker though! I can go on amazon and buy the exact same painting as a poster for 12 bucks.

Why are the prices so different? They both look the same, right? Neither of them are prettier than the other, nor do they really serve different functions. The value lies in the fingerprints of the artist. That original painting has Da Vinci’s handiwork all over it. You can see the character of his strokes, fingerprints, blemishes, and his signature. The famous artist’s authentic creation is what gives it great value.

READ: EPHESIANS 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Let’s dig into one word in this verse — handiwork. The Greek word here is actually “poeme.” This is directly related to our word for poem. This word basically means“work of art” or “masterpiece.” God is saying that you are His masterpiece. Just like the Mona Lisa, you have the fingerprints of an artist all over you. Every personality trait,every distinction, every freckle, and every characteristic is a distinct brush stroke of our Savior.

Where does your worth come from? It’s in the artist that created you. God made you, then broke the mold. Jesus loves you more than you could comprehend. You are his masterpiece. You are treasured. Your value does not come from who you are, rather it comes from whose you are. You belong to Jesus.

Have you ever worked hard on something just for someone to criticize it? It’s tough. It hurts the creator to have their creation criticized. Think about that next time you tear yourself down. It’s so easy to struggle with your identity, but God made you with a purpose in mind.

Next time you are being hard on yourself, search the Bible to learn the truth that God says about you. When you are insecure about your appearance, God says you are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When you feel like the world is against you, God says He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). When you feel like you have messed up beyond repair, God says He will forgive you and give you a clean slate as soon as you confess to Him (1 John 1:9). If you’re wrestling with negative thoughts that diminish the person God created you to be, search scripture to learn the true identity that God has given to you. A basic google search for “Bible verses on…” or looking through the topics in the back of your Bible’s index will point you towards life-giving truth.

We live in the era of YouTube stars, Instagram follows, and overnight celebrities. In a recent survey by UCLA, nearly a third of teenagers said that “becoming famous” was important to them. This is a dramatic increase from years before. We live in a culture that is obsessed with fame and popularity. Think about this though! The God of the whole universe knows you, loves you, and is fighting for you. He created the stars, but he wants to write your story. He is King over the whole planet, but He has a plan for your life. That is way better than fame — the God of all creation knows your name. It’s crucial to redirect your perspective and see yourself as the wonderful creation God made you to be.

Even when you feel unlovable, Jesus loves you.
Even when you feel like you don’t fit in, Jesus calls you family.
Even when you feel unworthy, Jesus says you’re worth dying for.
These life-changing truths should shift your identity.