The Masterpiece Within

Most of us have been straightening up around the house at some time and stumbled upon something that we weren't expecting. Maybe it's something that we thought was lost or a memento that we'd forgotten about. But few of us have found a 500-year-old mural.

According to the BBC, that's exactly what happened to Rhodri and Angie Powell of Milverton, England. While renovating their home, they uncovered a 20-foot-high painting of King Henry VIII which was created about 1530. Michael Liversidge, of Bristol University, called the discovery "stunningly exciting and of national importance." He went on to say that the painting would have been done as an expression of loyalty to the king.

I can't help but wonder how the mural came to be hidden. Was it a political act by someone who disagreed with the King's policies? Or was it merely a choice by a later owner with different tastes in wall decor? What would motivate you to cover up such a work of art?

The Bible says that each of us was made in the image of God. That's a masterpiece beyond compare, yet I find that too many of us spend our lives trying to cover up that image. Rather than seeking to perfect our reflection of God's image, we look to other patterns, other models for our lives.

With each passing day, I become more convinced that the best thing any of us can do is to work at recovering that lost image within. By seeking God and doing our best to live the way He shows us, we can recover that masterpiece that has gotten buried under layers of lesser things. We can become exactly who we were made to be.

We were made as a tribute to our King. We're supposed to look like Him. By coming to know Him and doing our best to imitate Him, we can make our lives into something "stunningly exciting."

If you want to know more about how to do that, write to me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org or visit our www.hopeforlife.org web site.