God’s Poiēma

What does it mean to be God’s little poem?

Ola Ndah/Shutterstock.com

by

Nilwona Nowlin

I’ve heard/read Ephesians 2:10 lots of times, and you probably have, too: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

This passage was mentioned during a workshop I recently attended, and the speaker kind of breezed over this tidbit: the Greek word that’s translated as “handiwork” is ποίημα - or poiēma. When he said this, I didn’t hear anything else he said for the next few minutes because I immediately looked up the Greek translation, so I could see it for myself. I took three semesters of Greek—one which wasn’t even required—how had I missed this fascinating piece of information?

I eventually returned my focus to the presenter, but this new information kept floating around in the back of my mind. After a few days, I stopped ignoring it and began to pay attention to my musings. 

This word, poiēma, simply means “created thing,” but this captivated the creative writer in me. This is the word that birthed the English word “poem,” and pondering it quickly took my train of thought to the idea that human beings are God’s little poems. As I thought about the ways in which I’ve poured all my energy and care into crafting a poem (or other pieces of art),

it gave me a deeper understanding of the care and intentionality God used in creating the universe.

I couldn’t help but smile at the image of God’s brow furrowing from deep concentration as God crafted me into being.

Thinking of myself as God’s poiēma/poem makes me feel God’s love more tangibly, but it also encourages me as a creative writer. As the seasons shift from winter to spring, my creative juices shift from a simmer to a rolling boil. In the past, I’ve chided myself for poring over little details of my writing because it often interrupts my creative process. However, this image of God poring over me as God’s little poem reminds me that intentionality has a purpose. I just have to find the balance between productive poring and “you’re overthinking it!” But because the Creator created me to be creative, I know that I have it in me to find that balance. And so do you.

Nilwona Nowlin is a redemptive artist; she strives to create art that helps individuals and communities experience God's shalom – a state of wholeness where everything is as God intended; nothing is missing, and nothing is broken. Her most cherished roles are as daughter, sister, and aunty. You can follow Nilwona on social media at @nilwona (Instagram and Twitter).