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The work of art is reflective, expressive and communicative. When directed by a true love for God, art can be a great way to enjoy God's goodness while seeking to worship Him. The need to make tangible things that express our perceptions has always been part of human history. I think it is part of our being made “after the image of God”. What artists and designers do is ultimately modeled on God’s creation work. We, like our God, are compelled to create. (Faith in focus, 2010)

I would almost say that, because of the redemptive work upon the cross, that creativity is an inherent attribute of the Christian. This spiritual dynamic happens inside the soul of every believer in whom God’s creative power comes to life. It is the power to birth, if you will, those things which bring glory to God. It is exemplified in many aspects of our lives as it permeates our consciousness, our hearts and our very existence as we are formed evermore daily into the image of Christ. As we fellowship daily with Him we are inspired to create. This is exemplified in many forms whether we are creating music, literature, drama, dance or a painting which brings glory to God. As believers, doing the work of an evangelistic, we participate in the creation of new souls as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I believe that we are entering into a new Renaissance; an awakening of man’s desire to express his faith through the arts. Although as new creatures we now walk by faith and not by sight, the world usually needs a tangible source in order to see and experience the presence of God. I believe it is the goal of every visual artist to paint a picture of who God is. Left to individual forms of interpretation, we see a myriad of constructs used to point the way to Christ.

A good friend of mine, an internationally acclaimed artist, once told me that there may come a day when I can no longer stand in the pulpit and preach, but that I will always be able to create. God is the creator, God lives in us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and therefore, by the inspiration of God, we create. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is not the end of the journey but the beginning of an adventure whereby, hand in hand with our Creator, we can become instruments of His grace and compasses leading to His glory.

The bible even tells us, in Ephesians 2:10, that we are “God’s workmanship”. The word used for workmanship in this passage in Greek is “poema,” where we get the word poem. We are his poetry, his painting, his sculpture, the very personification of who He is through the gifts that are manifested in and through us by His amazing grace. One of the absolutes of knowing Christ is that our fellowship with Him not only changes us daily into His likeness but that He can and will use us to do even greater works (John14: 12). This not only applies to Christian service but even to the works of our hands, as our lives are daily submitted unto Him.

During the Renaissance, there was a great awakening of spirituality and the desire to convey the message of Christ in the arts. It was a revolution or revelation, if you will, involving the desire of man to express his faith through sculpture, paint, drama, music and other artistic forms; not only communing with God but communicating to others the expression of his faith through his gifts and talents.

We also read in 2nd Corinthians 3:2-3 that “clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God, not on tables of stone or ink but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” King David’s heartfelt cry was for God to write His word upon his heart, that he might not sin against him. However, the inspiration of God does not stop with the written word. He can inspire us through anything that we submit to Him. He can inspire our speech, our writings, our music and other forms of art to tell the good news of the gospel of Christ. After all, God is Himself the ultimate artist. All one needs to do to experience this is to step outside and look at His creation. He has woven landscapes, peoples from different lands, and every living which only exist by His design. In fact, the list is unending.

How many of you, as artists, go to paint a scenery and as you practice your craft you begin to see the world differently? You begin to notice the different colors, shades and hues of God’s creation. Even though you may not be able to duplicate it perfectly, you are compelled to recreate the beauty of his creation through the arts. The inspiration of God upon man’s heart is infinite; it is alive and ever creating new and exciting works from the heart of God to the very hand of man. The amazing thing is that, while God could do all of this himself, He includes us in sharing the glory of His design. Even as I wrote this for this subject I began the task with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire me with the right words. One of the greatest things we can do is to recognize our own weaknesses and fallibilities so that we may lean upon God’s grace, which never disappoints, to make up the difference. Paul said that “I glory in my weaknesses for in my weakness He is made strong.”

I think that we often have a misguided concept of humility. Many people in the world often equate with almost a lack of self-esteem. However, there is only a slight difference between humility and pride. Pride says, “I have done this. I can do anything.” Humility says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” As you can see, the confidence has not changed, only the source of one’s confidence. In fact, humble believers are the most confident people in the world. Honestly, what a relief to know that I can trust in Him for my very walk and believe that nothing is impossible because He holds my hand. In fact, someone told me that they just did not believe that they could accomplish a certain task. I replied that this revelation was a good place to start. Then, he was no longer trusting in his own ability but had to depend upon God’s leading to take him from point a to point b. I feel that way every time I look at the canvas. As I wield the brush, I cannot even begin the journey without his guidance. The good news is that God wants to guide you. He wants to inspire you and most of all, He wants to relate to you.

Every morning as I sit at my dining room table and journal, I begin with prayer. Placing the pen upon the paper, I begin to write and somewhere between the beginning and the end, the Holy Spirit becomes involved and it is as though I am watching from above as He guides each jot and tittle until I begin to see His inspiration with each stroke of the pen, each wave of the brush, each string played on the instrument and even the very words that I speak. In fact, if I never go any further than my dining room table I will have fulfilled the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice by having fellowship with Him. Because it is through relationship that faith grows, and by faith that works are manifested. I have travelled the world and preached the gospel, even at times at the risk of my own life but nothing compares to the time that I have spent at my dining table. I believe, if the Lord tarries, that some day I will walk from my kitchen table into eternity ever to be with Him. So let Him guide your hand whether it be on canvas, parchment, or clay and you will see the glory of God.