Divine Craftsmanship

Albert Bogle August 24, 2026 4 0

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Ephesians 2: 8–10 (NIV-UK)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

When I was minister in St Andrew’s Bo’ness I placed this text on the church noticeboard as a permanent reminder to all who passed by that they were people of great worth because they were God’s handiwork. The exhausted Britain that J. John has been speaking about in The Times comes from a culture of individualism that tells us we’re never good enough. This in turn creates the imposter syndrome that many people talk about — that feeling that tells them, they’ll soon get found out. This text from Ephesians tells us we better start thinking more highly of ourselves, not because we have anything to do with it, but because God takes great pride in the person you are becoming.

You are God’s workmanship, you may not be perfect but you are a work in progress. You see we find hope not in our own abilities but in the knowledge that we are loved and cherished by God. This means stop trying to prove your value — live out your value as a beloved child of God!

Thinking about the Celtic artisans, many of them viewed their skills as responding to the glory of God that had been shaped into their lives. Woodcutters, stone masons, weavers, all saw themselves as God’s ‘poiema’ - his crafted masterpiece. You see we do not work to earn love, you work out of gratitude that you are loved by God — you are his beloved child.

Questions for personal reflection: Where, when and how, have you allowed your sense of significance to determine your self-worth?

View your daily task list not as a set of demands, but as pre-prepared spaces to bring

order out of chaos, beauty out of brokenness and care out of care-less-ness. How might it change your perception of work?

Could you practice in your imagination stepping into your workday from a place of spiritual rest and security?

Prayer:

Lord,

Here’s my to-do list

You will notice

I’ve put the easy things at the top

And put the difficult things at the bottom

I guess in pursuit of everyday glory?

The truth is — the easy things are seldom important

And the important things, well they are seldom urgent

And the urgent things are seldom important — but ever so demanding

And the things related to vision-casting are seldom demanding

But left unattended they become the source of my anxiety and fear

Take my task list today — make it yours

Show me how to turn it into a plan to create beauty and order and care into my workplace

Change the rhythm of my heart from urgent to — slow down

In waiting teach me how outcomes of a different kind can be encountered.

Today let my life-rhythms be less rushed — giving more rest to others

May my perspective on work be more grace filled

Help me explore freedom before performance and trust rather than anxiety

Come joy of the craftsman and turn my day into a joyful transforming adventure