Poiema

I have been keeping to myself lately and deeply thinking about the significance of a Greek term I recently stumbled across. It is the Greek Word "Poiema" and out of curiosity I looked it up just to see it in Biblical context.  It means "Masterpiece of God" and it appears in Ephesians 2:10.  


If you start off broadly, it basically entails anything artistic or beautiful which conveys a message.  If you reverse the direction of the message, it basically entails any medium captured through art, music, sound, visual, literary, or creative means.  In Ephesians the word "poiema" means we are the expressed created masterpieces of God and we carry His likeness. Likewise, our beauty is the artist expressing Himself to the rest of the world. We were made by God and for God. After all, it is through Him that we live, move and exist.

How freaking cool is that?  Think about it.  The word poiema is where we get the term poem, and basically means we are the song of God and the expression of His artistry.  Well duh.  All of creation reflects His artistry and mankind was the last thing He created and declared good.  I cannot help but consider what this means for those who feel their lives are insignificant or who question whether or not God really cares about them individually.  Our lives are so much more than we can even comprehend.  

Consider the perpetual hunt and chase by collectors of things like stamps or coins. They will tell you that something which has been mass produced has more value if a flaw is discovered, so they hunt for that rare piece which is missing from their treasured collection.  In the same way God has made millions of people, full of flaws, yet we are no less treasured by Him.  Just as a collector seeks and desires for that which is imperfect, God seeks and desires to connect with us.  We are His treasure, His Poiema, and our flaws make us irreplaceable in His eyes.  


Value is not derived from what you get, but comes from who you are as God's masterpiece.