You Are God's Poem

Reading a verse, or a passage of Scripture, without stopping to ponder it is like looking at a postcard. The image may appear to be beautiful, but it's flat. When you take the time to truly study Scripture, something suddenly shifts. You're no longer looking at a landscape. You are, instead, standing in one. All of a sudden, hills and valleys emerge. You will find yourself peering around corners that lead to views you never knew existed. The deeper you walk, the more vivid the scene becomes. 

This is exactly what happened to me while studying the book of Ephesians. As I began exploring the original Greek words behind the verses, I found myself wandering into unfamiliar, yet beautiful, territory! I studied and examined these ancient roots, and the scripture bloomed in ways I hadn't anticipated. Ephesians 2:10, a verse I thought I knew, became something far more breathtaking.

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

The particular study I was using pointed out that the Greek word for handiwork is poiema, which means workmanship, creation, or work. It’s important to understand that this isn’t just any kind of work. It’s not the day-to-day labor of an 8-to-5 job. It’s something much more significant. I had always associated handiwork with artistry. And, artistry, in my mind, is something that is carefully crafted with intention, purpose, and meaning. That alone felt like a beautiful truth. We are God’s intentional creation, designed with purpose and meaning. But when I learned that the Greek word poiema is where we get our English word "poem," it touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed an unexpected love for poetry! I’ve purchased more books of poetry in the last couple of years than I have in my entire lifetime because, previously, that number was zero. I don’t think of myself as a poet. I’ve only dabbled in writing poetry because, honestly, it’s hard! It requires careful thought, rhythm, sometimes rhyme, and the ability to communicate deep emotion in just a few words. It is a unique way to express a message. It is an art form that requires time, precision, and creativity. Poetry steps in where prose falls short. It has the ability to reach out and grasp what seems unreachable. Whether it is beauty, emotion, or the quiet mysteries of our souls, poetry can express what ordinary words cannot, conveying messages where mere words fall short. 

All of a sudden, my brain began making connections. I found myself being led around a bend in the landscape and encountering a breathtaking view. If handiwork is poiema, and poiema gives us our English word "poem," then couldn’t I read this verse as "We are God’s poem"?

The realization overwhelmed me with feelings of delight and awe! We are not merely God’s creation or craftsmanship. We are His living poetry! What a breathtaking thought to set our mind’s eye upon! 

If we are, indeed, God’s poem, then it is worth considering what makes poetry so powerful. 

First of all, poetry is intentional. Each word in a poem is carefully selected by the poet. Each word is perfectly placed to provide the necessary cadence, rhyme, and meaning in order to convey the chosen message.  In the same way, God has carefully chosen each and every detail about us as he created and formed us. Our physical attributes—the color of our eyes, the sound of our voice—were all crafted with precision. Our unique personality—whether we be tender or bold, deep-thinking or free-spirited—was crafted with extreme care. Even our strengths and weaknesses were deliberately woven into the fabric of who we are. A poet doesn’t waste words, and God doesn’t create without purpose. We are carefully crafted expressions of God’s Divine creativity!

Poetry also has rhythm. There is a cadence you hear when reading aloud or listening to it quietly in your mind. When reading it aloud, your voice will rise and fall. There are moments when words flow, and moments when pauses carry weight. Meaning breaks forth in measured beats.  So, it’s no surprise that our lives have patterns that God has uniquely designed. The Divine Poet has purposefully written out and crafted the tempos of our lives. Some seasons will move with intensity, while others unfold slowly. Even the irregular rhythms in the form of unexpected disruptions or surprising turns are a part of God’s poetic writing of our lives.

Poetry evokes emotion. A skilled poet does more than make words sound pretty. They arrange their words to stir hearts; to awaken souls. The vast array of emotions that you experience is no mistake. God designed us with enormous emotional depth! Joy, sorrow, wonder, and longing all reflect the emotional richness of our Creator. Poetry touches our hearts in a way that other types of writing cannot. In the same way, when we share our emotional selves with one another, we have an impact on each other’s lives that mere facts do not. The gifts and abilities that have been given to us by our Creator have the ability to inspire, comfort, and challenge others. Even our struggles and pain, when shared, can encourage others. 

Lastly, poetry tells a story. Each image, every metaphor, all the painted word pictures present an intended message. So, too, do our lives. Our existence in this world is not random. God does not create meaninglessly! God creates with purpose. Every experience, every relationship, every triumph, and every challenge becomes a line of your life poem. Every single part of our lives is designed to tell a story. It can be a beautiful story. It will be a story that unfolds with time. One thing is sure. It will reveal the creativity and the imagination of the Master Poet!

Our lives, like poetry, will reflect a unique rhythm, a depth that fits who God created us to be, and the heart of the One who created us. Embrace the truth that we are His handiwork. Or, more accurately translated, we are God’s poetry! We are living out the story that He is writing in and through us.