In the Church at large, creativity isn't really seen as a major tool.
"In the beginning, God created..." (Genesis 1). Yet when it comes to helping to bring unbelievers to Christ or feeding God's children, creativity is largely absent.
As a result, for those of us who are highly creative, we can often feel as if our creativity doesn't have a place.
But what if I told you that your creative gift - whatever it may be - is super vital to the Kingdom? What if I told you that perhaps God has imbued you with creativity for such a time as this?
Friend, grab your favorite beverage and join me as I break down why your creative gift is immensely powerful - and pivotal - to the Kingdom!
Show Notes:
Intro
How often do you hear the words “Church” and “creativity” in the same sentence? Probably not that often, right?
But if you’re inherently creative, and you love Jesus, you’re naturally going to want to use your creativity for Him.
But the how and where can be difficult. Despite the fact that the Bible opens with God creating...creativity isn’t something we see a lot of in the church - except for a few standard ways - and, in some ways, in the Christian culture in its entirety.
And we have a desire, but don’t see a place where that desire is being met for others (or being played out), we can feel as if there simply isn’t a place for our creative talents. Which can then lead to questions and frustration and all the things, right?
Well, today, I want to assure you that you are who you’re meant to be. God didn’t mess up. He didn’t make you a creative individual, who also loves Him, just to drive you crazy. To torture you by thinking your creativity doesn’t have a place. It does.
In fact, creativity is immensely powerful. Which means you not only have a place in His Kingdom with your creative gifts - but that your role is vital.
Let’s look at 4 specific reasons:
1) The creative arts provide inspiration and encouragement.
We live in a fallen world. We deal with a lot on a daily basis. And we’re called to live differently than the world.
Lord knows, we endeavor to be realistic. But we also need some inspiration and encouragement. Something to help us refresh, replenish, and keep us motivated to continue onward and upward.
God knows this. Even when He was leading His people out of Egypt, through the desert - where He was purging them from their old life and drawing them closer to Himself - He brought them to an oasis, for example.
Those “oasis” moments can come through a variety of ways - including a dance, artwork, or other creative source that He uses to speak to His daughters through.
And sometimes, especially through the highly visual arts, He can help us glimpse something, or aspire to something, that we never thought possible.
2) The creative arts are how we share our stories and testimonies.
These can be told through the art form itself. Or, through the conversation that art invokes.
Stories are highly, highly pivotal to human relationships. Sharing our stories is how we connect with each other as humans. It’s where we find common ground - especially when we discover that we’ve experienced something similar to what the other person before us has. It’s how we bond and come together despite the differences each of us have - or how we’re unique.
On the flip side, stories also help us understand each other. Or emphasize with one another. Maybe we haven’t experienced what the other person has gone through, but there are pieces of their story that we can glimpse into. Or emphasize over that bit. Or it just rivets us and draws us in and makes us want to learn more.
Stories are extremely powerful. And anyone who creates knows that there is a story behind whatever they do. Doesn’t matter if it’s dance, writing, painting, woodworking… Doesn’t matter if the story is blatant for all to see or it’s more subtle… Everything that’s created has some type of story behind it. There’s a reason, an inspiration, a motivation, a healing… Could be any or all of those things.
3) The creative arts are how we can share about God and Jesus - and the stories of the Bible.
There’s a saying that we use at my day job: “the source of truth.” We use it to refer to a document or wireframe or whatever element is serving as the foundational basis for a project. If Document X says it’s to be done this way, then that’s the way it needs to be.
As I was outlining this podcast episode, I thought, “What a good phrase to apply to the Bible.” Because it is our source of truth as Christians, right? God will never ask us to do anything, for example, that contradicts what’s in the Bible.
But when it comes to the arts and creativity, I feel like we’ve used the “source of truth” concept as a way to lock down the arts and creativity in God’s Kingdom. As if there’s something wrong with bringing the Bible - and all its stories and characters - to life beyond the page.
I don’t know about you, but as someone who is highly imaginative and creative, I struggle with reading the Bible. Not because I don’t want to deepen my relationship with God, or because I don’t want to put in the effort, or anything along those lines. Once I’ve read something, especially several times, I have a hard time seeing it differently.
Yes, the Holy Spirit and God and Jesus can definitely talk to me through the Bible. It is the Living Word, for sure. I’m not in any way suggesting that its power is limited.
What I am saying is that everyone is created differently. And while every Christian definitely needs to be in the Word, and understand it and know it - why can’t we also bring it to life?
Because here’s the thing - bringing something to life in another creative medium always brings out additional aspects or layers or helps us see and understand it from a different angle.
Take the series The Chosen, for example. How many times have we read the passages in the Bible that have been written and filmed in the show? And how many ways, and how many things, jumped out at you differently when you saw it played out before you in a different medium?
The foundational truth behind it is the same. But because it’s brought to life in a different way, it allows us to see it in a different way. In a good way.
Listen, I don’t believe God - who is the Creator … who created the earth, and the heavens, and the plants, and the animals, and us … would limit us to only sharing the truth through one medium.
Everything we do and create should be in alignment with the Bible - and should ultimately point people to Jesus and the Bible through whatever we create. But we shouldn’t ignore or discount the power of creativity.
Take me for example. I’m a highly creative person. God created me to create for others - including to all of you amazing women listening to this podcast. And visiting my website. And buying my original designs on my RedBubble store. I’m using the creative gifts He gave me to point you to Him.
4) The creative arts give God’s character, stories, and glory more reach.
There are so, so many creative outlets and avenues today. And most of them can be shared online. We can create digital things - such as music, podcasts, digital art, movies, etc. And we can also share and sell physical items such as paintings, clothing, anything you can sell on Etsy… There are so many creative ways to share about God and Jesus.
Especially with non-believers.
And in ways that, again, are based on Truth. But offered in a way that both glorifies God and draws interest in different ways.
Look, in the past few decades, the big “C” Church has propagated concepts that, honestly, just need to go. For example, this idea that we need to get the unbeliever to a physical church building in order for them to be Saved. (Instead of us actually going out into the world as the Body of Christ, and showing and living out who we are, and being courageous.)
Or, the idea that if we go out and shout Bible verses at the top of our lungs on the street corner, suddenly people will get Saved.
Now, I’m not saying God can’t Save people in church or on the street. Or that we shouldn’t invite people to church or do outreach.
What I am saying, is that the church has been in a place where it’s essentially focused on a formula (i.e. bring your unbelieving friend kicking and screaming to church where we’re water things down to make the message and experience more palatable to them) instead of building up and encouraging us believers to go out and share our stories, and testimonies, and relationship with Jesus - on a daily basis - in whatever way we can.
Our Christian walk is a relational one. And we need to convey what that relationship is like to the world.
And God works in our lives so that we have amazing stories to share of how He’s changed us; how He’s provided for us; how He did what was best for us even though we didn’t realize it at the time...all these things.
And creativity...whatever that looks like for you...that (as we’ve already discussed) is an immensely powerful way to convey any and all of those things.
Not to replace what we also need to be doing on a daily basis such as talking to people or praying for them or whatever comes up. But as a compliment to it.
As creatives, we have the ability to put things out into the world in a way that other people may not.
In fact, taking into account my own walk with God, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that God has specifically created us creatives to do exactly that. To get His love, message, glory...everything about Him way beyond the physical walls of His churches.
And in a way that goes beyond our own reach 1:1, right? This podcast episode is one to many. Meaning, I write and record it and release it into the world...and many, many women can listen to it. And be touched by it. And reconsider things because of it. And be loved and healed and fed by God through it. (At least, that’s my hope and prayer.)
Lady, whatever your creative talents, even if you don’t see a way to directly tell a Christian story through it...it can still speak to others and draw them to God. Simply because you are His Daughter and whoever you are, whatever your story is, will come through that in some way.
In fact, God might even use your creativity in a way you never anticipated. You never know what He wants to do; and who He wants to speak to; and how He wants to get their attention.