No, We Don't Have to Put Bible Verses Everywhere
…putting Bible verses or drawing little crosses into the things we create is not a requirement or a commandment, especially when it comes from glorified peer pressure. Indeed, God’s Word says nothing about needing to put Scriptural references into our work and it says a lot about the kind of work we are called to do.
We Are the Salt and Light of the Earth
I have a lot to say on the topic of salt. It seasons and preserves food, serves as a necessary electrolyte, and it is delicious. It’s a significant and important factor in our oceans, providing a home for numerous species of plants and animals. In fact, salt is so important that it is one of the five major taste sensations!
But the Bible asks a good question: what good is salt that has lost its saltiness?
We Can't Be Lazy
You’re in your pajamas. You’ve got your favorite streaming service on the TV. You’ve got some popcorn, some pizza, and a whole day ahead of you to binge watch the latest drama. And that’s great!
For a rest day.
For every day, it’s not so much a good idea.
Good Work Part 2, God Instructs Us to do Good Work
So, what exactly does that mean? I can’t really reinvent the rainbow…
It means that, in using our God-given abilities and talents, we strive to do good work. At the core of all we do, we should have our ultimate goals be to honor God in a way that pleases Him and encourages our neighbors towards His truth.
Good Work Part 1, God Does Good Work
God is the definition of Good. True Good, He can do nothing but good. Which means that all of His work, both in the creation of the world and in His actions after the Fall, are ultimately good.
What is, then, ‘good work’?
Don't Be Arrogant About Your Talents
Pride is one of the sneakiest sins. It creeps into everything, it’s sometimes hard to spot, and it causes a whole host of other sins and worries. Pride can even worm into our initially good intentions and cause major issues when we think we’re glorifying God!
Everything We Do is for the Praise and Glory of God
Everything we do, we need to do it for the praise and glory of God.
Everything.
But I Have No Confidence!
That’s okay.
Wait…aren’t you supposed to tell me I need more confidence in myself?
Nope, you don’t need it, Christian creative!
God Has a Plan for You
So, you’ve been created, you’ve got Jesus in your heart, and you have a drive, set of talents, or abilities that you want to use for some grand purpose…now what?
God Gives People Talents and Abilities
If God has a task He wants done on this Earth, He gets it done. Sometimes He uses miracles that only He can perform (manna from heaven, Exodus 16; raising Lazarus, John 11), sometimes He uses plagues brought about from His wrath [the famous 10 against Egypt, Exodus 7-12; tumors against the people of Ashdod, 1 Samuel 5:6], and sometimes He uses people.
God Created YOU
God creates, God created all things, and God created humanity. This is all good and this is all important, but how does it tie into encouraging you, specifically? Easy: God created you.
God Created Humanity
“If you put an infinite number of monkeys in front of an infinite number of typewriters, you’ll eventually get Shakespeare.” It’s a quote that’s meant for discussing statistics, rather than biology or creation, but it incidentally makes an important point. It lets us ask the question: how will the monkeys write Shakespeare?
God Created All Things
Have you ever taken a moment to really look at a platypus? Yes, obviously they’re weird on a surface level and strange in the fact that they are mammals that lay eggs and nurse young, but have you really stopped to look at them? Compared to, say, a beaver or a river otter, or even a capybara, they are weird.
God Creates
Genesis 1:1 might be a cliche to start a Scriptural blog post series with, but there is a reason that it’s the first verse of the Bible: it reveals a key element to God’s nature, He is a God who creates.
Encouraging the Christian Creative: Introduction
Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ! Welcome to Brainy Pixel’s newest blog series: Encouraging the Christian Creative (ECC).
This blog series is for all of us who need a little encouragement.