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God: The Creator of Creativity
By Julie | February 4, 2009
Last Sunday in church our minister did a sermon called “Work of Art.” He talked about how God, the Creator, was the ultimate artist. As we sat listening, Marc immediately looked up in Genesis the story of the creation of the Earth. (On the first day God created…) Then he looked at me and said, “Uh, I never thought about it before, but God actually created creativity.”
Some people might say, “Duh.” Or, “Yeah, so.”
Not me. I was floored. My mind started going and going and going. My whole life I have loved all things creative. I’ve loved creating new things, being creative, and I put so much value into things others have created. I think one of the most amazing aspects of life is to take something from a person’s mind and turn it into something useful: like thoughts creating a book, an artist painting a picture, or recycling something into a new product. To me, everyone uses some sort of creative process, even setting up a basic filing system requires our minds to be creative.
I’ve had so many people in my life overlook my creations, or my interests, or the creative I’ve bragged up that others have done. I’ll share something with a friend I find amazing, and they’ll say, “Yeah, so.” Or, “Gee, that’s nice.” They are not trying to be mean, they just don’t get what I find so amazing. But, God wires all of us so differently, and the people who don’t see the same beauty in the creative process have frustrated and made me feel like creativity is not appreciated or valued. Sometimes I’ve felt like a freak, because it means so much to me, but not to those I share it with. Then, God puts someone in my life who really get its, and they put as much value into creativity as I do. It’s such a wonderful thing to share with someone. (God even gave me a husband who may place more value on creativity than I do! That was a pretty nice gift!)
So sitting there Sunday, listening to the value God puts on creativity and art made me ecstatic. I realized, I didn’t just come up with my appreciation from myself; I was given my interests, and inclinations from God. As long as that’s true, I will always have someone to share my interests, and creative attempts with, even when those around me don’t. I’ll always be able to learn more, and be guided by the ultimate source: God, the creator of all creativity.
But the message the minister really wanted to get out this weekend was even more powerful to me. Here is that message: of all of God’s creations, we are his ultimate creation. We are God’s greatest works of art. To God, we are masterpieces. You. Me. We are a product he created from before our births. Then, He made us a new product after we give him our lives to him. When we were made new in him, he went back to work on us, and he continues that work all of our lives.
…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. — Philippians 1:6
The work God does in is us is proof of the miracle he can do in a person as he makes us a new, and better creation. God creates many new products from our one life.
This thought struck me on Sunday too: God is the ultimate recycler; he gives all of us a second chance. Then he cleans us up and gives us a new purpose. So many of us are ready and willing to throw away the people who hurt us. Not God. He is ready to pick them up, and pick us up, and go to work on them, on us. All with the purpose of making us better, more useable.
It’s so inspiring for me. Sometimes I’m such a screw-up. At our last church our minister used say he thinks sometimes God sees us going about our lives, minding our own business but trying to do good. In glimpses of that God will point to us and say to the angels, “Did you see that! That was so cool!”
As the pastor said on Sunday: We are God’s greatest masterpieces. Me. And you.
Topics: Art, Encouragement, Life and Living | No Comments »
