How I’m Using My Creativity to Honor God

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.”

Merry Christmas! What a special day today is, the day where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The best gift ever given to the world.

And today, I want to talk about gifts. And not the ones under the tree that you’ve meticulously wrapped. No, the gifts that God gives us and how we can use them for His glory, not our own. And I want to put a special emphasis today on creative gifts.

Creativity is truly one of the most beautiful gifts God has given us, in my opinion. The ability to make something new out of just a few raw materials, a general idea and a prayer. How beautiful is it to create something?

But a question that should be on the forefront of our minds when we are creating: “Is what I’m creating glorifying God? Or am I using it for my own glory?”

My Story

Now I consider my self to be a creative “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” Pretty much any creative medium I’ve dabbled in. I’m not a master at any one particular medium, but I can make do with a sewing needle, or a paint brush, or a lump of clay.

It’s definitely a gift that I’ve been given and that I am so grateful for. But HOW am I using these gifts? Am I using them for God’s glory? Or my own?

I’ll be honest, I haven’t always used my gifts to give glory and praise to the Lord. I’ve mostly used them for my own selfish gains to garner praise from others.

When I was going through a very dark period in my life, I loved creating costumes. I’m somewhat of a “recovering nerd” (but I’m still up for a Pokémon battle any day of the week) and making costumes of characters gave me happiness.

But ultimately, it didn’t bring me joy - TRUE joy. The kind that God gives you when you are in alignment with Him.

I want to change that. Instead of using my gifts to chase the ever elusive state of “happiness,” I want to use them to glorify God and bring others closer to Him. I think a few of my gifts lie in public speaking and writing, both of which I think are creative gifts.

Now I want to touch on the last part of these verses real quick, where it talks about using your gifts to not only glorify God, but to bring others closer to Him. I hope through these blogs that I can bring some closer to God. Even if it’s just one person, that would be enough for me.

Reflection

What are your God given gifts? I want you to think, REALLY think about that question for a while.

What you come up with might surprise you. If you would have asked me this question about a year ago, I would have responded with “sewing.” But looking back, I think God has truly given me a gift with words, whether that be written or spoken (you can disagree if you like ;)).

So I encourage you to look outside the obvious and dive deeper into what gifts God has given you. Look really deep inside to see how you can use those gifts to bring glory to Him.

Today’s Takeaway

God has given you gifts. Wondrous, beautiful gifts. Look deep inside to figure out what they are. And use them to bring glory to His name.

Prayer

“Dear Lord, thank You for the gifts You have given me. I am so grateful for the ability to create something wondrous with Your power and inspiration behind it.

Help me to discover what my gifts are and how I can use them to serve You. Help me to bring glory to Your name and bring others closer to You with the gifts You have given me.

Give me the knowledge to discern where my gifts lie and the courage to pursue them and use them for Your Kingdom.

I pray all this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”