Do Not Fear Using Your Gift for God’s Glory
This season of Encouraging Christian Creatives has talked a lot about what to do with our God-given creative gifts, and it all kind of funnels into this singular idea: using these talents, abilities, and skills for God’s glory.
Now, giving one’s talents and abilities to God’s glory involves just a tiny step of faith…or, perhaps — occasionally — a very large one. It might involve giving up something major — your specific dreams and aspirations, a career or direction you planned to go in. It might involve stepping out publicly with your faith — declaring under no uncertain terms to the whole world that you are a Christian and are creating for God. It might involve switching gears — giving up on a specific project, changing how you think about your creativity. It might involve a whole lotta repentance (something we all have to do on occasion) — repenting of the old, sinful habits and creative projects.
It might involve putting an enormous amount of trust in your Creator.
Not only is a bit of fear about a major shift in how you perceive your creativity and operate as a creative understandable, it’s also expected. This is specially true for when that shift come at an enormous price, whether it be our pride, our sin, our own dreams, or an even worse outcome of losing our current audience, friends, of even family members. Fear is a natural, human response to such a huge leap of faith.
But, there are two massive truths to this kind of change and all its (good and bad) fallout:
God will provide comfort. He will replace what is lost with something even better. If you step out publicly and lose your audience, God will put something else in its place. The same if you lose a dream or an aspiration. Or if you have to repent of sin. God will provide grace, comfort, and blessings. (*FYI, this is all in a non-prosperity-Gospel kind of way. God knows our needs!)
The way that God wants you to use your gifts and abilities is way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way more fulfilling than any possible path that you could set up for yourself. Don’t get me wrong, your free will is absolutely part of the whole process. And it may be that “God directing your path” looks like you using the wisdom He’s given you to make good decisions. Regardless of what following God’s will and dedicating your gifts to His glory looks like, it will be far more rewarding that not pursuing His glory.
If you decide to earnestly pursue using your gifts for God’s glory, He has your back all the way. It won’t necessarily spark an immediate change in your life or mental state. It may not fix any of the problems you currently have — in fact, there’s a very good chance that it may create more given how the world hates anything that even smells a bit Christian — but it will be good. It will be good for you and for the people around you.
And, most importantly, you will be doing what God created you to do! Worshipping Him with the very talents and abilities He’s given you! There is no better or more fulfilling calling that that!
Putting it into Action
Have you, Christian creative, stepped out in faith lately? Have you declared to God ‘You are good and worthy of my creativity. I am not afraid of what You have in store for me and my talents. You are the Creator above all creatives.’? It may not be a big thing, or it may be lift-altering, but sometime this week, in some way, step out in your faith. Whether with a public declaration or an internal decision, make YOUR creativity about GOD’S glory. And see how He leads you to good!!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
