2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

     The work of any artist is in layers. It is not as if an artist can just come out, sit down, spill some paint and have a masterpiece painted in an hour. Instead there are many stages and steps that must be gone through. In many cases a casual bystander would not be able to see what the artist has intended in the early stages. It will go through many transformations, touch-ups and repainting in order to become a brilliant display. The layers may never even be noticed by observers, but it was there without a doubt.

     We too are being molded by the great Artist. God is transforming us into a likeness of Him. We start out a jumbled mess, unrecognizable and ugly to anyone who was outside watching. Yet God has a plan for us. He knows what He will create through us if we will just let Him. For those who will go along with His plan, they will be turned into His glory, His image. There is no greater work that has ever been done than God’s ability to transform sinful man into godly servants.

     Yet this process takes time. We want our transformation to be immediate. When it does not happen we may grumble at God. We wonder why we are wandering in this unfinished state. What we fail to realize is that God knows what He is turning us into and He knows how to get us there. To the casual eye, and to our own, it may look completely off base. We may not understand why there is suffering or pain in our lives, or why we are still struggling with temptation. We need to remember that the Master is at work, and He can mold us into a great creation if we will just follow Him.