“So God created man in his own image; 

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.” Gen 1:27, CSB

Have you ever studied the history of art? Stroll through a few museums and it will boggle the mind how the idea of what constitutes impeccable art changes over the centuries. Some of it is hyper-realistic, so precise you are convinced you could talk to the subject. Some is abstract, a collection of shapes and swirls that give you an idea of the subject but not the details. Still others are simply studies of color. There are pieces smaller than a sheet of computer paper and canvases so large they wouldn’t fit upright in most homes. Whether we personally appreciate it or not, it’s hard to deny the variety of work that is considered “art”. 

Despite the range of recognized talent, many people have no difficulty believing they themselves cannot create. If you are one of those who claims to be missing creativity, I hate to be the one to tell you but, you’re wrong. 

Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are created in God’s image. We are a reflection of the One who is so creative He earned the title The Creator. 

That means you are also creative. 

Too often we equate creativity with artistic ability. While art is certainly one manifestation of creativity and God values such craftsmanship (Exodus 31), it is not the only way we create. God made oceans as well as mountains and each is its own form of beauty. But God also created the laws of physics. He created gravity and the water cycle. The mathematical sequences that repeat themselves in nature came from the hand and mind of God. 

All creation is not artistic

Perhaps you create order out of chaos. Maybe you create calm in the midst of an emotional sea. The greatest art museum in the world could hold nothing if engineers and architects hadn’t created a sturdy building. 

I started my professional career writing computer code. I spent my days manipulating databases and searching shell scripts for misplaced semi-colons. Then I started writing books where the appearance of any semi-colon is a rare anomaly. Having walked both sides of that creative coin, I can tell you they aren’t that different. 

Don’t devalue what you bring to the world, what you create with the gifts and perspective God has given you. In 1 Corinthians 12 the Bible talks about how the many gifts make up the Body of Christ and not a single one of them is unimportant. 

Your creativity is a gift from God and all varieties are needed. A bridge that is merely pretty will collapse into uselessness while one that is coldly functional will bring little joy to the journey. When Christians come together to create structure and beauty (in both tangible and intangible ways), we show the world a fuller picture of who God is. Whether you bring the paint or the bolts, the concept or the fundraising, you are a part of the process needed to create that which God calls us to bring into the world to show everyone His glory. 

Go forth and create.

Kristi Ann Hunter encourages us to be more like our father, The Creator, in The Word on Wednesday. Share on X

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