“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.” Psalm 104:24-25
“The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1
God made everything in the world, including the nightly sunsets, high mountaintops, powerful oceans, and all mankind. God constructed each of us "in his own image" according to his "likeness" with an innate desire to design (Genesis 1:27). We create because he first created us, and as Christians we have the responsibility to use our creative talents to honor the Lord and proclaim his glory.
Because we are made in the image of God, we not only have the ability to be innovative but possess many other key attributes of God. From studying basic Christian theology, we know about the concept of the Trinity or the idea that God is a triune being composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (Matthew 28:19). God is innately relational, and he has created us with a desire to be around and bond with others through verbal and non-verbal communication. The way we interact with others is similar to the way God connects with us. The Lord speaks to us through prayer. As we “draw near to God” and tell him our hopes, dreams, worries, and thoughts, he will “draw near” to us (James 4:8), make us more like him, and “lead us in the way we should go” (Isaiah 48:17).
Just like God we not only have the desire to form relationships and communicate with others, but we also have the ability to make choices. The biggest decision we have to make is whether or not to believe that God loves us and “sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). God has given us the capacity to not only pick and choose to do different things but also design and innovate. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and we are inspired by the beauty of his creation to make new things and brainstorm ideas (Genesis 1:1).
It does not matter if we are right or left-brained-we all are capable of and enjoy solving creative problems. Right-brained people like to find solutions to people-based problems, and left-brained people tend to love solving issues related to systems. There is a need for innovation and resourcefulness not only in typical “artsy” fields such as graphic design, architecture, writing, acting, or music composition but also in the more technical career areas of engineering and business. We see evidence of our desire to create not only in the kinds of jobs we have but also in the types of hobbies we pursue. Many of us enjoy renovating our homes, decorating our apartments, making handmade gifts for others, cooking and baking sweet treats, or gaining inspiration from HGTV marathons.
Whatever we choose to do, we can glorify God and share his love with others through it. The music, paintings, and art we design can have an uplifting or Christian message. We can show hospitality towards and encourage others by cooking and baking for them and inviting them to our homes for a meal and conversation. In the workplace we can let our Christian “light shine before others” by having integrity and maintaining a good attitude while completing projects or solving issues during a crisis (Matthew 5:13-16).
Because we are made in the image of God, who created everything in the universe, we have the innate desire to design and innovate. As Christians we all have the ability to “love because God first loved us” (1John 4:19) and create because God first created us. Whichever way we choose to utilize our artistic abilities, whether it is through our hobbies or career choices, we need to honor the Lord and proclaim his glory.
