Becoming the Masterpiece You Were Made to Be
Pastor Shelina Bonjour has a gift for turning theology into something tangible. During a recent young adult retreat, she invited listeners to see themselves through the eyes of a Master Artist. The message? You’re not a rock. You’re a jewel. And you were handcrafted for something more.
As the youth director for the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Shelina spoke about what it means to live in Christ—not just as believers, but as disciples, apprentices of Jesus Himself.
More Than a Label: Are You a Christian or a Disciple?
“What is a disciple?” Shelina began. “And is it possible to be a Christian without being one?”
Answering her own question, she shared, “You might not know it, but you are a disciple. It’s just a matter of who you’re a disciple of.”
Each of us, she explained, is modeling our life after something or someone. “What do you listen to? What vision of the good life is capturing your heart?” In a world full of influencers and noise, we all follow something. The call of Jesus is clear: Follow Me.
“To be His disciple means to be an apprentice of Jesus,” she said, “to model your life after Him, to be like Him.”
A Doorstop or a Jewel?
From there, Shelina introduced the story of the Black Star of Queensland—a 1,156-carat sapphire that spent a decade as a literal doorstop before a gem expert saw its potential. It was cut and polished until the star inside shone through. But it took time, care, and trust in the hands of an artist.
She used it as a metaphor: “Perhaps we all sometimes see ourselves as both. At some moments, we say, ‘God, I think You put something special inside of me.’ At others, we look dusty, worn, stepped on—and we forget that we were created to shine.”
Referencing Ephesians 2:10, she reminded everyone: “For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
Empty Nets and Full Hearts
One of the central biblical figures in Shelina’s message was Peter. “When Jesus met him, others may have seen a rugged fisherman. But Jesus saw someone He was going to make beautiful.”
She walked listeners through the story in Luke 5, where Peter, exhausted and frustrated after fishing all night with empty nets, is told by Jesus to try again.
“Have you experienced a life of empty nets?” she asked. “Where your job, your studies, your relationships—you’ve done everything right, and still come up short?”
She recounted Peter’s response: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night… but because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
The miraculous catch that followed wasn’t the point, she explained. It was the surrender. The willingness to obey, even when exhausted. Even when it made no sense.
Surrendering the Spotlight
As Peter followed Jesus, Shelina said, his transformation wasn’t instant—it was daily.
She described the moment at the Last Supper when Jesus began to wash the disciples’ feet. “Peter realizes that he messed up,” she said. “There was a service opportunity that he didn’t take. Jesus was revealing the heart of a servant, and Peter had missed it.”
It’s a relatable moment for anyone trying to serve God while still figuring it all out. “The facets of the jewel,” she said, “are being revealed as he gets closer and closer to the image that the Master has for him.”
Later, Peter famously denied Jesus—not once, but three times. “He took himself out of a relationship with Jesus,” Shelina explained. “It’s like he jumped out of the car. But Jesus didn’t just keep driving—He stopped the car, opened the door, and said, ‘Do you want to ride?’”
That invitation, she emphasized, is still extended to us: “Do you love Me? Then come. There’s still a mission.”
Formed for a Mission
Just as Peter was called to fish for people, Shelina emphasized that each person has a divine mission. “We are created for a mission,” she said. “And we get to live in Him in discipleship. We get to share His Word with those around us.”
But that mission doesn’t always come with clear instructions. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Step one, get this degree. Step two, visit this many people.’ He just said, ‘Follow Me.’”
For some, she acknowledged, the current mission might look like caregiving, serving family, or simply being present. “The greatest in the Kingdom,” she reminded them, “is the one who serves.”
And serving isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it means letting go of things you thought you had to carry alone.
You Don’t Have to Carry It
In a moment of heartfelt vulnerability, Shelina described the image of a toddler trying to carry a heavy sack while sitting safely in their parent’s arms. “That’s us,” she said. “You’re trying to carry a load you were never meant to carry. And Jesus is already holding you.”
“Who told you that was your job?” she asked. “It wasn’t your Father.”
As the session concluded, Shelina invited everyone to write down what they were struggling to let go of—anxiety, control, expectations—and then to symbolically give those burdens to Jesus.
“Peter, the fisherman who had a hard time asking for help,” she said, “is the same man who wrote in 1 Peter: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Masterpiece in Progress
Shelina closed with this truth: “You may only see yourself in one way—but God sees you as His reflection.”
She quoted Michelangelo: “The sculpture is already complete within the marble. I just have to chisel away the excess.”
That’s what God is doing in each of us.
“We are not done yet,” she said. “Maybe your bowl has been broken a few times. But Jesus is putting you back together again—and filling the cracks with gold.”
So, are you still in the car? Are you still in the Father’s arms?
Because if you are, you are still becoming the masterpiece He designed you to be.
Leave a Response