God Has Ultimate Sovereignty Over Your Gift
Sometimes, one of the biggest hurdles in the Christian’s faith walk is acknowledging one, huge fact: God is sovereign.
We might struggle to accept this in a few different ways: He’s sovereign, which means He is in control of everything (both the good and the bad). He’s sovereign, which means I’m not in control. He’s sovereign, which means I’m at His mercy for whatever He chooses for me. He’s sovereign, which means I need to worship Him and accept His will. These are kind of huge things and it is understandable if we have to wrestle ourselves into a place of humility.
Now, there’s a whole big debate about where our free will begins and ends and where God’s sovereignty begins and ends which is way, way, way out of the scope of this blog series (and my theological knowledge). So this article is going to stick to just one part of this idea: the fact that God is sovereign over your creativity, particularly all the outside factors influencing your creativity and season of life.
This can mean a lot of different things. This can mean that God directs each and every one of your creative steps in a specific direction. This can mean that He closes some doors and opens others. This can mean that He gives you relatively free reign over what you do. This can mean that, at some point, He takes away your ability to create entirely! It all depends on His good and perfect will.
I say all of this not to terrify anyone, or present the idea that He is for sure, most definitely, absolutely going to take away your gifts and there’s nothing you can do about it. You don’t know that He is going to do that for certain (honestly, neither you nor I know anything about what God is doing in our lives, beyond what He has chosen to reveal to us).
So, what’s the point of thinking about such a terrifying prospect?
The answer is something every human being on the planet simply LOVES to hear: for a gut-check! If the idea that God has sovereignty over your creativity either:
Fills you with dread.
Makes you already resent God.
Sounds really depressing.
All of the above.
…I’d like to ask you to meditate on a few things. The first is that this is a bunch of hypotheticals. There is zero certainty that God is going to do anything listed in this article! The goal with this exercise is to ask the question “who do you think is really in charge of your gift?” or maybe ask “are you holding onto your gift too tightly?” or even ask “are you actually grateful to the One who gave your your gift in the first place?”.
Secondly, if you are already resenting God for something He hasn’t even done, that means you are valuing your creativity over Him. It’s understandable to feel frustrated when He closes doors you wanted left open. It is okay to lament a project going in a different direction than you intended. It is okay to mourn if He does take it away. But bitterness and resentment come from a place of value. Do you value your gift over God’s good and perfect plan for your life? Do you find too much of your identity in your creativity, rather than in the fact that you are a Child of God?
And, finally, if it sounds depressing to lose sovereignty over your creativity, I would gently offer that you never really had it do begin with. Yes, you absolutely were (and are) in control of much of your creativity, but there is a difference between controlling a small piece of the puzzle and the entire image. God has control over elements influencing your ability to create that you’re not even aware of. From the way your brain puts together neural pathways to your geographic location and it’s opportunities to how you grew up as a child; absolutely none of this is totally and directly under your control.
But it is under God’s control.
And He is a Good, Good Father.
And He wants what is best for you.
So, do not fill your head with worries about “what if He takes complete control over my creativity?!”. Use the question as a gut-check. Verify that you are not holding onto your creativity so tightly that there is no room for God to work in your life and direct your path. Remember that He uses His sovereignty for YOUR GOOD! Learn to Trust Him with your creativity, just like you trust Him with your heart and salvation.
Putting it into Action
Have you ever really sat there and asked whether or not you trust God with your gift? Do you have it in your heart to let go of the gift and let God work, whether that is directing you towards a specific end goal on a project, He’s opening some doors and closing others, or taking away your creativity entirely? Or are you saying “I like my creativity more than I like your will, God”? More than likely, you answered with that last question, even just a tiny bit (even the most humble of creatives still struggle with this!). The best way to beat back this kind of pride is through repentance and praise! Take some time this week, set aside your creativity, and focus on God. Tell Him how thankful you are to be a creative, and that starting today you are going to rely more on His input and His sovereignty to complete your projects and direct your creative career!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
