What a Gemstone! - by Florence Simmons

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10). 

If you only saw the outside of the amethyst rock you would say it was ugly, rough, and very unappealing. You wouldn’t pick it up and say, “Wow! Isn’t this a gorgeous rock?” 

To reveal its beauty, the quartz stone first needs to be split. The rock then displays a beautiful jagged crystal-like center in shades of pale lilac to varying degrees of stately purple, a center so surprisingly unlike its outer coating. Because it’s free from all sorts of flaws, this transparent sparkling gemstone is the most important quartz variety used in jewelry. 

The amethyst proves to be a good parallel for us; our old, sinful nature is the ugly surface. The apostle Paul points out evidences of this depraved nature: sexual immorality, drunkenness, envy, selfish ambitions, hatred, and jealousy (Galatians 5:19-20). Like breaking the amethyst, Christ splits away the ugliness of our sin and begins to expose His beauty through us as we grow in His Word. 

The Holy Spirit begins to develop in us a transparent, lustrous gemstone of God’s love, joy, patience and kindness. As He chips away at our old nature, His splendor increasingly shines through us.

The darkest shades are the most valuable. Christ desires to saturate us in dark hues to display the most valued, His radiant beauty, to our sin-sick world. Are you becoming that exquisite gemstone from the Master’s workmanship? 

Florence Simmons is an author and freelance writer. Contact