Articles
Masterpiece
Michelangelo said, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all.” It is difficult to create a masterpiece.
When we see someone who is great at what they do, what they do seems so easy. Jack Nicklaus could hit a golf ball. But Jack Nicklaus’ greatness was not in hitting the golf ball. He knew that whenever a tournament was on the line, his opponents had not been in the position to win as often as he had. He knew he mentally would beat them. He made errant shots, but mentally he was better than his opponents. Steph Curry can shoot a basketball. Others have been great shooters but when Steph gets the ball he knows he is going to make it. Others hope to. Michael Phelps does not have the most gold medals in Olympic history because he just jumped in a pool and began to swim. He practiced and competed to the extent that even his opponents knew when he was in the competition they could not beat him.
Jack, Steph, Michael, and Michelangelo all were great at their craft because they worked hard at what they did. Their greatness required more than simple hard work. It required drive. They were driven to be the best at their craft. Their hard work was motivated by their drive to be better than anyone else. Many can work hard but not be as good as someone who works hard because they are driven by their desire to be great.
When Steve Jobs was a boy, his father was building a fence in the backyard. Steve noticed that his father was using the finest wood and applying special care for the back of the fence just like the front. Steve asked his dad why he was doing this since no one would see it and no one would know. Steve’s dad looked at him and said, “You will know. I will know.”
Steve said it was a defining moment in his life and is the reason why he designed Apple products with such craftsmanship and care. Even the inside of the iPhone is designed beautifully because Steve was a craftsman. In fact, Apple’s Chief Designer famously said, “We believe that our customers can sense the care we have put into our product and design.”
The ability to create a masterpiece does not happen overnight. There will be many failures, challenges and rejections along the way. But remember: as children of God we have not been called to be timidity, but boldness. We have been created to do good works. We are God’s masterpiece. He is working on us to make us in His image. He will not fail. He has not simply put His heart and soul into making us. He gave His Son for us.
