A: Summary Nicholas, K. (2017). Masterpiece - Seeing Yourself as God's Work of Art Changes Everything! Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press.

In today’s world, material wealth has become our ‘god’ (Hudson, 2010). We have structured the society in such a way that success is literally equated to wealth. From their early days in school, all the way to college, our children are being taught that the formula to success is simply working hard in school and getting a well-paying job. We have a society whereby people no longer appreciate the intrinsic value of things – instead, they are mesmerized by the price. It is for this reason that our world is in tatters. Morals and values have been thrown out of the window and replaced with materiality, which breeds immorality (Harris, 2011). The situation is likely to get worse if nothing is done, fast! The book offers an alternative way of life. In essence, the book teaches (or rather reminds us) that we are God’s beloved children and that our father in heaven would not hesitate to pour his blessings upon us if we embrace his ways.

God is merciful and willing to forgive us if we adopt a new identity in Jesus Christ. Instead of seeking joy elsewhere, we can grow it right below our feet by walking a new path. This is to say that the only path that can lead us to happiness, confidence in all we do, and stability (marital or otherwise) is that of reuniting with our father in heaven. The book reminds us that unlike Christ, everything else we have in this world is short-lived. For this reason, focusing on the things of this world is likely to contaminate to our overall wellbeing. It is also important to note that the relevance of protecting our spirit from injury cannot be overstated. This is more so the case given that we are only transitory beings in this world. Our final destination...

However, the book makes it clear that change is not an automatic process. It must be driven. It must come from within. In seeking to adopt change, the book tells us that we should rely on the Creator himself. He knows our true essence and is capable of directing true change within ourselves. However, for this change to take place, we must adopt a new identity as the children of God. After all, we are God’s masterpiece and he is conversant with ever nature of our being. As surprising as it may sound, God, the creator...…that we can reflect or project his glory to all those that we interact with.
D: Application

In essence, the book was immensely enlightening and it provided meaningful tips for happy living. This is knowledge that I do not intend to keep for myself. For this reason, I will be actively spreading this amazing ‘gospel’ to not only my friends and family, but also counselees. Towards this end, I intend to encourage people to stop looking for happiness, delight, and worth in the wrong places. For instance, basing oneself worth on academic performance, the salaries that we receive, or our company position misses the point. Instead, people should turn their eyes to God and come to the realization that he is the source of everything. He is the true basis of strength, self-worth, and confidence. Further, because God loves us, and perceives us as his beloved creation, he would be happy to reunite us with his wellbeing. Relying on mere mortals for our wellbeing misses the point as they are creations of God. It is only after realizing that we are the deliberate creations of God that we find our true north and thereafter, everything changes! It is important to note that this perspective is a Biblical truth – “for we are God’s handiwork…” (Ephesians…