Can we really be like God in our creativity? In many ways we cannot even come close. We cannot be perfect. We cannot even come close to the immensity or intricate detail of God’s creation. But yet, as I pointed out in my last blog on creativity, I believe God wants us to be creative. We are His children and children naturally imitate their parents.
Let me suggest four ways our creativity can be like our Father’s:
- Orderly. In creation God took chaos and formed it into something orderly. Genesis 1:2 tells us that the earth was formless. Over the next 6 days God took that formlessness and transformed it into something of great beauty and order. As imitators of the Creator we also should strive to bring order to the world around us. Part of the beauty of art is its ability to give form and order to elements that of themselves are formless.
- Truthful. Revelation 15:3 tells us that God’s ways are true. Many times as an artist our work tells a story or calls people to respond in some way. As imitators of the Creator our creative actions should draw people to truth. Art can lead people to truth or away from truth. Our world is full of lies and we should be striving to shine the light of Truth into the darkness.
- Honorable. In Revelation 4:11 God is praised as worthy of honor because He created all things. As imitators of the Creator we should be producing art that is worthy of honor. I think we have all experienced or seen art that is dishonorable either because of poor quality or poor content. Our creativity should not exploit or promote those things that are dishonorable. But we should do more than avoid that with is dishonorable – we should strive to create art that shows enough quality and craft that it is worthy of honor and reflects the wonder of God’s creation.
- Pure. Our Creator is pure and righteous in all He does. His creation is now marred by the Fall, but at the beginning it was perfect and pure. As imitators of the Creator our creative acts should also be pure. I think it is essential that Christians produce art that reflects the purity of our God. There is enough art produced by the world that promotes the immoral. Immorality sells. Immorality is addictive and ensnaring. But our task is to product artwork this is of such quality that it draws the eye away from the sordid and gives them a glimpse of the true beauty of that which is pure and by comparison makes the immoral look dirty and worthless.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory
Worship Director at Crosspointe Church.