God’s Mosaic

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-14; Revelation 7:9-10

“Mom, there’s so many beautiful things here!” Eliana exclaimed. She and her mom were visiting an art museum, and Eliana stood in awe of the different shapes, sizes, colors, and materials that made up the art displayed around every corner. But one particular piece stood out. “Is that painting sparkly?” asked Eliana.

Mom smiled. “Kind of,” she said. “It’s actually not a painting. It’s a mosaic. It sparkles because it’s made of tiny pieces of colorful glass arranged together to make a picture.”

“Wow!” said Eliana. “I think we need a mosaic at home.”

“You know,” said Mom. “You can make mosaics out of anything. You just need a canvas and lots of tiny items in the colors you want. We should make one together.”

And so they did. Once they got home, Eliana gathered small items from the craft bin in the colors she wanted, while Mom found a canvas from their supply cabinet. Soon, they were arranging the pieces on the canvas, making a picture of a tree.

As they worked, Mom spoke. “This reminds me of church,” she said as she dabbed some glue on a green button and pressed it to the canvas.

“Huh?” asked Eliana.

“I guess that was a little confusing,” said Mom with a laugh. “Let me explain. You know how at church everyone has different talents and backgrounds and many people at our church come from cultures different from our own? That’s how God designed His church—His family—to be. He wants His people to have all kinds of beautiful differences—just like all the random pieces that make up our mosaic. Together they make up a beautiful church that glorifies Him.”

Eliana nodded. “Mosaics are amazing because they are made up of lots of different pieces that create one big picture.”

“Exactly!” said Mom. “The canvas holds all the random pieces together. In the same way, as Christians, we gather together in all the amazing ways Jesus made us to worship Him and remember that He saved us through His death and resurrection. That’s what unites us and makes us into God’s beautiful mosaic.”

-Kandi Zeller

How About You?

What are some of the different talents, backgrounds, and cultures in your church? God created us all so differently, and when we become Christians, each of us is also given different spiritual gifts to use in serving the church. God uses the differences He created in us to help us grow in Christ and glorify Him together—just like a beautiful mosaic. As Christians, we are united by Jesus, and through the amazing diversity of His family, He creates a picture of His love and goodness.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Corinthians 12:6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

The church is united around Jesus