Our family visited the Grand Canyon last week. It was magnificent. Words can’t describe the beauty and sheer size of it. People spoke in hushed tones as they looked out. I didn’t see anyone with headphones in, no one was glued YouTube or Netflix on their phones. No one dared to litter or vandalize any part of it. Nothing man-created can compare to the beauty of God’s creation. Every one of us there recognized the magnificent beauty that surrounded us.
I kept thinking about it after we left. The beauty sticks with you, like the taste of a good meal. I’d replay what I saw, review the pictures we took, talk about it with Dave and the kids. As soon as we left, we wanted to go back again, see it from other vantage points, in other seasons.
Then, as I was reading through Ephesians, I ran across this verse: “We are His workmanship…” (Eph. 2:10). I had never really thought about that before. But with the beauty of the Grand Canyon still lingering in my mind, that word, workmanship, stood out. The Grand Canyon is an example of God’s workmanship. It shouts of a powerful God whose creativity is inspiring. But this amazing planet was designed for his greatest creation — us! We are his workmanship.
We are his workmanship. And we are even more amazing than the Grand Canyon — we have voices to praise Him and souls that can live with Him for eternity. This beautiful earth will eventually pass away. But we will not. We are His workmanship.
This, I realized, should affect not only how I see myself, but especially how I see others. Every human being is made in God’s image, by God Himself. They are greater than the Grand Canyon, more beautiful, more precious, more awe-inspiring. Every one of them. Even those who reject their creator. They are all God’s amazing workmanship. And I need to treat them as such- with honor and respect. I need to view them the way I viewed the Grand Canyon: as a divine masterpiece. And I need to point them to the one who created them for a purpose, so they can experience the unparalleled joy of being known by him.
