Photo: Clint Fisher

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.

God is highly interested in your talent, not only is He interested, He has sanctioned it. By sanctioned, I mean He has commissioned you, endorsed and given you power and everything you need to prosper in your work.

As we read in the introductory text which was taken from the book of Exodus [Chapter 31, verse 2], God has a specific plan - create a Tabernacle - and He chose some specific people, here Bezalel is first referenced, to carry that plan out.

The plan of the Tabernacle and the ceremonies associated with it, are explained with intricate and precise detail {ref1}. God was extremely thorough with Moses and revealed tremendous things both great and small about Himself and His plans.

What that practically means to you and I as artists and children of God, is that once we carry out our intentions of creating our work, we need to have a great expectation of direction and guidance from the Lord.

In order to do this, we have to put a couple of things into perspective. First, we are not Moses, and yes Moses had the privilege of experiencing a face to face relationship with God that has only been surpassed in intimacy by the relationship of Jesus and his Father.

However, even though you and I aren't Moses, that has absolutely NO bearing on how God relates to and communicates with us.

Bezalel & Oholiab

Case in point, we can look to the example of Bezalel, and before we go too far let's look at who else the Lord has sanctioned for this project:

Exodus 31:6:

God really is making it clear to Moses that HE is the one ordaining this and is choosing another artist by the name of Oholiab to help Bezalel. There is so much to be said about the immense comfort it brings to us if we recognize the fact that we as artists are chosen and that with this choosing, comes all the help we need to carry out our work.

Bezalel and Oholiab with their talents.

Illustration: Clint Fisher

David reminds us of this help when he says in Psalm 33:20:

In Hebrew that is translated as "Jehovah Ezer" (The Lord my Help).

This is comforting, especially in those times when the work we have to do can seem overwhelming. I can't imagine what was running through Bezalel and Oholiab's minds as they thought about the task of building a Tabernacle for the God of all creation. Yet, we can speculate from an artist's perspective, I'm sure they both wanted their work to be awe-inspiring and the absolute best quality they could possibly create.

In addition, I would propose that while these two artists were of the most talented, the task before them of visually representing God's presence on the earth was way beyond their abilities and skill level.

As Moses proclaimed to God "Who am I?"{ref2} when God called him, I can hear Bezalel and Oholiab saying something along the lines of "Who are we?". God's response to Moses was "I will be with you"{ref3}, and as we see in our example of Bezalel and Oholiab, God was with each of them as well.

The Holy Spirit

While we are on the subjects of "creating", "help" and "comfort" let's remind ourselves of where these come from.

Creating

Exodus 31:3-5
"And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of worksmanship."

Psalm 140:30
"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth."

Genesis 1:2
"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

Job 33:4
"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

Comfort & Help

John 15:26
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 14:16
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever."

These are just a few scriptures referencing the Holy Spirit as the Creator, Comforter and Helper, truly, a lifetime could be spent in the study of the Holy Spirit.

What is important to grasp here is to know that every time you and I set out to create, we have the Creator helping us, giving us all the Comfort and Help we need, when we need it.

Alright, let's get back to creating this Tabernacle.

If we examine our text in the New Living Translation we see this:

Exodus 31: 1-5:

I love this translation, it's almost funny in how much God is endorsing Bezalel here for Moses. Why is God doing that? Well, God can so heavily endorse Bezalel's talents because they came from Him!

Notice the passage doesn't begin with a list of Bezalel's talents and qualifications, it begins "I have chosen... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God..."

Remember this the next time you are lacking in confidence, as long as you are focused on God's work He is guaranteeing to do it with you and thru you.

The other reason I believe that God is so heavily endorsing Bezalel is to simply comfort and reassure Moses that all is in good hands. As a leader, that gives Moses one less thing to be overly concerned about and to try to "manage" himself. We all know Moses' history of trying to handle everything himself. {ref4}

If we continue on with our example text, we'll see something else revealed that aids in completing the picture.

Exodus 31:6:

Hey Bezalel and Oholiab, you need some more help? God knew the scope of this project and the amount of work that it was going to take to complete it and He also knew that Bezalel and Oholiab couldn't do it alone.

Again, we see here that the other artists were "gifted" because God gave them "special skill". The gift always precedes the talent.

Now, there's one key thing missing in this project and we have to go back to the mountain with Moses to find it.

Exodus 25:1-8:

The list includes things like precious metals, fabrics and skins, stones and wood.

In verse 8 we read:

Well, this answers the questions of "What are we going to build this all with" and "Where are we going to get it?" Which were probably questions that Bezalel and Oholiab had running through their minds.

Additional artists and the people play their part.

Illustration: Clint Fisher

And if you think about it, you can see how God had planned this much earlier as the supply of offerings came from all of the bounty they carried with them out of Egypt.

The people equipped the builders to build because they were first equipped by God with what was needed.

We also see God again comforting and informing Moses that there was a detailed plan coming up for him to follow.

One other key to the above text is that God wanted people with giving hearts and generosity to be the ones who contributed in the building of His Tabernacle.

God was not only focused on the quality of the materials and the execution of the work, but He's focused on the quality of the hearts of His people.

This is just one example of an artistic project that we find in the Bible, a great companion study can be made in the construction of the Temple, which started in David's heart and then was carried to fruition by artists and God's people thru David's son Solomon.

Yeah, but...

I can hear some of you speculating about your own work in comparison to Tabernacles and Temples.

Just as we looked at our relational position with God as compared to Moses, we need to look at our work in this same manner. True, you and I are not building the original Tabernacle or the Temple of God.

But, remember how God called Bezalel and Oholiab by name in conjunction with their talents?

God knows your name as well. God knows the talents He has given you. God has plans for you and for those talents.

He has called you, He has commissioned you and He is confident in you and your abilities, because they aren't yours, they're His and it's His good pleasure and His good heart to offer them to you to build His desires, and where His vision is, His provision follows.

Photo: Marlon Vidal

I have touched on this subject briefly before, but I believe that I need to ignite the flame again. I'm referring to the mind - your mind. There is a sort of mental block. Not the kind that Writers get when they sit down to dish out a poem or novel or a song. I'm talking about the type of mental block that prevents you from believing in yourself.

The crippling kind that has you believing something other than what God has called you to. The kind of mental block that causes you to believe that, you don't even have a special gift or talent that has been given to you specifically - from the hand of God Himself.

Right now you may even be frustrated, anxious, stressed out and even depressed because of all the waiting you've been made to endure. I'm telling you now; don't be any of those things! Now you may be saying, "it's easier said than done." And you're correct for saying so! But is Almighty God as limited as you are? Is He as near sighted as you are? Is He as weak as you are? Is He as faithless as you are? And is He ready to quit as much as you are?

No! God is none of those things. We suppose that He is, because we do not get results as immediate as we would like to. We, I include myself; are always so ready to give up on ourselves and God, when things tend to take a little longer than we would like. But God is always there, ready to endure with us, because He never quits!

Anything you believe about yourself in your heart, begins with a thought. Think about it! If you believe you're unattractive, stupid, worthless, incompetent, or whatever you may think yourself to be, begins with your thought process. You are probably familiar with the saying, "you are what you eat," well, become familiar with this one, "you are what you think." Psychologist can back me up on this. It's called, "being conditioned."

We can be conditioned by what others say about us, or by what we say about ourselves. And it's up to you to change your thought process. It's up to you to not listen to the lies that others or the devil may whisper or shout in your ear. And it will not be easy, depending on how long you've been believing and listening to these lies about who you are.

Ephesians 4:23 "... to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ..." One of the most power filled statements ever written. That's the beginning of your new life. In order to become all you have been created to be, you must begin to think of yourself differently! I will say this again, "it's not easy, but it is so worth it, so do what you must in order to change your thought patterns." I have most certainly had to change the way I think about myself, which is why I am able to write this article.

Because I would not have thought myself worthy in the past. And I am certainly not the kind of writer I want to be - but I am a Writer. And as time goes by and I keep believing that I will become better at writing, I will become better. The opposing thoughts will continue to fight me, but I'm going to fight them, as God gives me the strength to do so. Practice makes a person better at what they want to accomplish, and your mind is the beginning - train it well.

Secondly, begin to affirm yourself. What I mean by that is, pick a time during your day to look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I am talented, or I am beautiful, or I can act, or I can sing." Whatever the lie may be that you've been entertaining - counteract it with this new affirmation. You might feel uncomfortable or stupid when you first do so, but continue to practice this; it's for your well being. Trust me. Even though you may not believe what you're saying as you look at yourself in that mirror; say it anyway. Because what your conscious mind may oppose, your subconscious will believe. God has created our minds that way. If it's working for me, it will certainly work for you.

Lastly,

Are your dreams and goals pure, lovely, excellent, or praiseworthy - then go after them. Trust that if God has kept you alive and in good health thus far, then He will not turn away from you now. What makes you think that you are alone in all of this; this thing called "life." Take God out of the box you've placed Him in and have faith in His power.

And then, trust that He loves you and cares for you. Speak with Him in your prayers - day and night. And even when you are at your lowest, because of some thought - pray and cry out to Him. I've been there, so trust me when I say, "Almighty God hears your every word and sees every tear." Be yourself, through the eyes of God - the Creator, the Deliverer, the Savior, and the Comforter.

Photo: Clint Fisher

Marla Olmstead is eight years old now. An abstract artist, her first painting sold when she was two; by the time she was four, she was at the center of an international fervor, and her works were outselling her adult counterparts' in Manhattan.

I first heard about Marla through the 2007 documentary My Kid Could Paint That, a film that shows the height of her popularity and the controversy surrounding her paintings, including questions of worth and even authenticity. While some argue about whether her works can even be considered art (reviving perennial questions about what constitutes art in the first place), others accuse her parents of helping her, which they contend invalidates Marla as an independent artist.

These issues are fascinating and worthy of consideration, but when I watched the film, I was struck by something else. When the filmmaker asks an art critic why Marla's work is so appealing, the critic acknowledges the pure aesthetic power of the paintings— but he suggests that they possess a still more potent quality. He points out how cynical and aggressive a lot of contemporary art is, almost attacking the viewer. The film, as one example, pans across a florescent display spelling the word "Holy"; a moment later, the lights spell out the f-word instead. With Marla, he says, she "paints for the sheer joy of it." He thinks that's what viewers are responding to.

Certainly a great part of the allure of Marla's work comes from the charm of its story: every finished painting is a testimony to a child's sense of play. Her official bio, from her Web site at marlaolmstead.com, ends by affirming that she "is at her most joyful and expressive before the canvas." Whether or not Marla is the sole creator of her work doesn't change that people want her to be; people want to have a piece of her joy in their lives. This strikes me as a beautiful thing to want.

As Christian artists, what do we have to offer a world that longs for such pure joy? I do not wish to oversimplify, pretending that the only Christian life is one that is constantly joyful, or that Christian artists ought to limit themselves only to joyful subjects. Many of the most moving Christians over the years have embraced brokenness, frailty, and darkness. As a writer, I think of Hugo's Les Miserables, Greene's The Power and the Glory, Augustine's Confessions, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. As a Christian, I think of Jesus.

Perhaps I am riveted by this idea of artistic joy precisely because I see such tremendous examples of artists who meet darkness bravely and sincerely, but I have more difficulty finding artists who are engaged in fresh celebration. I realize that a lot of so-called Christian art errs on the side of the superficially pretty, the sanitized, the saccharine. I am not advocating such work. But as Christians, we are a part of a tradition of rejoicing that goes back, if we embrace the vision of Job, at least to the beginning of our world:

If we believe that God is the source of joy, and if we are intentionally living in dedication to and relationship with God, then it seems to me that we ought to have some distinct experiences of joy worth sharing. And apparently, there are a lot of people who are anxious to share it with us. So how can we communicate this joy through our artwork?

I believe the answer will be different for each of us, and that offers a worthwhile challenge. But for me, I find models from whom to learn in several favorite authors. Both Madeleine L'Engle and the oft-referenced C. S. Lewis speak explicitly of joy in their works, but the moments that haunt my memory come from their young adult novels. I listened to the Narnia chronicles before I could read myself; I read the Time trilogy in elementary school. They linger in large part because of their inherent wonder and celebration.

As an adult, I find myself turning to Marilynne Robinson to learn how to steep joy into writing, since her Gilead is suffused with light. Described as "radiant" (Chicago Tribune), "incandescent" (Entertainment Weekly), a book that "glows with brilliance" (Philadelphia Inquirer), and "having an unusual radiance and innocence" (Atlantic Monthly), Gilead challenges me as a writer because it so deftly moves through mature scenes and subjects—it manages to evoke startling anger, wrenching sorrow, and intense loneliness, yet always with nuanced luminescence.

For the reader's convenience, brief excerpts from all of these authors are available below. Yet I don't think I can or should try to capture a formula for succeeding in such an endeavor. And while the examples I've included here are fairly straightforward in their celebration, Marla Olmstead's paintings are not explicitly "joyful" in the same way that these particular texts are. If you visit her Web site, you can view a gallery of her works. As her site attests, she "uses acrylic paint, brushes, squirt bottles, spatulas, and the ideal child stand-by: her fingers," to create her vast canvases drowning in bright paint and dizzying patterns, with titles like "A Muddy Day," "Mosquito Bite," and "Darlene's Bikini."

Pieces that are visually interesting, but that gain tremendous allure from their association with a child's playtime. So perhaps the most important element of giving joy to our audiences is not subject matter but something more fundamental. Just as the appeal of Marla's paintings comes in large part from the story behind them, maybe we would do best to infuse joy into our work by cultivating joy in ourselves, and by taking real delight in the creative process.

Passages from L'Engle, Lewis, and Robinson

In this passage from A Wrinkle in Time, the child protagonists find themselves in a strange world, with foreign creatures singing a psalm of praise to God. The celebration of this scene serves to strengthen the children, who shortly afterward find themselves facing the "dark Thing" they must fight for the rest of the book:

In this creation scene from C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew, Aslan sings Narnia into existence:

The whole of Gilead is a letter from a dying John Ames to his young son, and a good portion of the book is episodic stories and reflections for the boy to read when he's older:

Related

• marlaolmstead.com

Photo: Clint Fisher

When it comes to creating, you should be doing your best. Your work is a direct reflection of you as an artist. There must always be a conscious examination of what you are creating and how it can be better. Quality work doesn't just happen on its own. How high are your standards? Raise them regardless. Don't just do something, do it well.

Arm Yourselves!

Sound fired up? I am. I'm tired of seeing and hearing mediocrity when it comes to Christian artists (myself included).

There is a widespread opinion that views our work as "cheesy". That the music and art we create is fit for greeting cards and calendars at best, and you know what, I don't completely disagree with those who hold that opinion, because for the most part, they are spot-on.

Your work as a whole, will never be perfect. That state is impossible to reach if you realize that you can always learn. If you are open to it, you'll be learning till your last breath. And if you are learning then you are constantly challenging yourself to do your absolute best.

We must strive to be walking sponges, absorbing everything we can about our talents, refining, reworking, developing and nurturing.

Let me put something very blunt, there are artists out there who purposefully have nothing to do with God, they do not believe in God and do not attribute their talents as divinely given in any way. Yet, their lives are completely saturated with their talents. Painters that would shrivel up and die if they weren't able to paint. Musicians going mad without their vehicle for expression. A bit dramatic? Perhaps, but the next time you talk to a painter or a musician ask them what they would be doing if they couldn't do what they loved.

We can learn a thing or two from them. They have a hunger and a desire to pour everything they have into their work, why? Because their work defines who they are. It's their identity, they live and breathe it.

A Reminder

We need as Christians, to remind ourselves of something. We are HUMAN. We are human first and foremost. As humans we are gifted with talents, hence artists, who happen to be Christians.

This is crucial for our understanding if we want to relate to people. People need to relate to you as a person. This sounds ridiculous to have to say, but seriously, it's vital. We can't be so heavenly minded that we're of no earthly good.

As humans, we share life with all of humanity, As Christians we have a unique message, an answer to the human condition and the question of "why am I here". And as Christian artists, we have the opportunity to express everything that that entails through our creativity.

Unlike those artists who live without the need for God, we humbly believe we cannot create, nor have any true identity outside of him, he is our identity and our source of all things creative.

But let's not forget that God has created us as individuals, completely unique, with our own voices. This is where our work lies. This is where our purpose resides. Unique people blessed with common talents. Talents are common to people, it's who we are as individuals and what we do with those talents that makes true art.

If we lose sight of this, then we become susceptible to mediocrity and mediocrity is a death blow to art. This is also where the so-called "cheesy" impression of our work can come from.

If I may, I would like to share a couple of comments with you. The first, really exemplifies one of the big reasons we publish this magazine.

Billy happened upon our magazine and commented on the first issue we ran. I had the pleasure of meeting Billy when I was in Austin for South By Southwest last year. Billy is a musician and artist who strives for the same things that we are speaking of here, he is talented, honest, sincere, his work is both transparent and full of genuine emotion.

Jesse Stephens is a great friend of mine, and you will recognize the above quote if you read his interview in the last issue. I think this statement is extremely accurate as well as disturbing. Think about what it says about the work we create and how it affects others, now add to that that Jesse is himself a Christian. Now, I'm not stating that Jesse represents all Christians, of course not. What I am saying is that when someone makes a statement like this, Christian or non, we need to pay attention and do some re-evaluation.

For the most part when someone refers to something as cheesy, unless its pizza, it's not a good reference.

"Poor quality, shoddy, unconvincing, cheap, chintzy, flimsy" - these are all terms that are associated with cheesiness.

This is a very serious observation about us as Christian artists. It speaks of us as a people and damages our credibility and the artwork we produce. It quickly throws us into a genre where we can be categorized and dismissed easily.

When you and I create, we need to be focused on quality, and to remember that just because we are Christians, that label is not magic and does not make our work good, if anything it's an added challenge.

Reactions

It's important to realize that people are reacting to your work first, your work is tangible, and how that impacts them is how they hopefully can interact with your message. This is also not to say that just because you are a Christian artist, that your work has to convey some Christian message. It doesn't, and don't allow anyone to throw a guilt trip on you about that. Your work as a Christian artist, should be first and foremost a relationship between you and God, and whatever you want to express and however He expresses himself through you is between you and Him.

We need to do our very best for our work, because when we care, other people will as well. They may not like our style, agree with our ideas, but along with the quality of our work, they should be able to see our sincerity and honesty and respect us as artists.

I've spoken before about the Renaissance. There were two of them in particular that were noted in the annals of history. The Renaissance did not produce mediocrity, quite the opposite. The important thing to understand here is that this "rebirth" was a response to the hunger and fervor that the artists exercised in grasping big ideas and concepts and translating those into their work, which inspired others.

Our responsibility to our work, is to continue to seek and ask for guidance and direction, as well as addressing those big ideas and concepts. If we do our part, then God will show up in ways that we couldn't imagine and do things we couldn't comprehend.

We need to be critical of our work, does it stand up to the quality test? In whatever area you create in, does your work display the fundamentals of the medium solidly, and are you able to make it something more than the basics? I'm sure you've heard it many many times, "you've got to know the rules, before you can break them".

Fundamentals are essential and once you have a concrete understanding of them, they will be the foundation that you build your creative work upon. This is where your individuality comes in, your personality, your vision and voice. It's also absolutely essential that you be your own person in your work, because you have been created uniquely, and there is only one of you. As artists, we have people who inspire us, but we need to be careful to maintain ourselves in our work and not become someone else.

A Few Suggestions

There are a few things that I keep in mind when I work that may helpful. If you have some of your own, please share, we'd love to hear them.

• Simplicity - Continually a guiding principle in my work, keep things simple and really hone in on what's important.
• Honesty - Just put it out there in the open, raw, and obvious.
• Work, Work and then Work some more.
• Study - Look and listen to the masters, what is it about them that makes their work so powerful?
• Pray - Divine guidance is an artistic, euphoric, experience.

Perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is that your work is an offering. It is an offering to the listener, to the viewer, and from a Christian stand point, it is an offering to the Lord. As an offering it should be the best that you can do.

Design: Clint Fisher

In our first issue we began exploring talent through articles and interviews, asking talented people where they believe their talent comes from. We also began encouraging you—the talented reader—to step out in those talents.

Prelude

How can we make these steps practical and tangible? I think a good place to start is at the beginning, and by beginning I mean the very beginning.

What an awesome statement. Let's break that down a bit.

"In the beginning God...."

God is the beginning of everything. So before anything, there was God. That alone blows my mind, but before I risk losing the rest of the mind that I have left let's continue with our breakdown.

"In the beginning God created.."

Ok, this is starting to look artistic now. So here we have God existing before the beginning, and now deciding to make something. This one sentence is so inspiring to me as an artist because in all the paintings I have done, drawings, designs, web sites, whatever it was that I was about to make I had the desire to make it.

Something deep down inside of me has not only the desire, but the need to create. It is a primal urge that resides at the very core, or shall I say the "beginning" of my being.

So here we have God as Creator, the Artist, the Great Architect with a desire and yes a need to create. What did God do next?

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

He's not only in the zone, He is the zone. Have you ever been doing your thing and you are hitting on all cylinders, almost as if everything you do just works, you are in the flow.

Just take a look at an amazing sunset, sunrise or a peacock as some examples of God getting His groove on.

I say all of that to say– this is where our talent comes from, this is the beginning of our desire and need to create as creatives.

Appropriation

Ok, cool stuff but you still haven't shown us how this applies to real life.

Sticking with our same inspirational sentence: "In the beginning God..." we can extrapolate that when we are going to begin something it should begin with God.

Let's say for an example you have a desire to paint. As we saw earlier, that desire started with God giving you the desire to paint. Why? It's a gift that was given for no other reason than God deciding to give it to you because He wanted to.

Continuing with that remember that God is purposeful, He does things with a purpose in mind. What is that purpose? We need to ask Him.

1) Once you have identified a desire to do something, you need to ask God what to do with that desire.

Instead of just automatically going off to do something, stop.

2) Thank God for that desire.

Let God know you appreciate it and recognize it as a gift, just like you would any other gift that someone gives you. The person giving you the gift gets fulfillment seeing that it brings you joy in receiving it.

3) Listen

You've asked and thanked, now it's time to listen.

In some other situations, this may just be the beginning of a process that God is starting with you. It's important to show God that you recognize Him at work in your creative life and that you are waiting and in expectation of a response from Him. It is extremely important to be in expectation, this shows God that you trust Him and also of equal importance, are relying on His direction.

4) Take prayerful action

By prayerful action I mean that when you begin to develop your talent with the Lord you might have a feeling of what you should do. I have found it beneficial in times like this to first acknowledge that gut feeling to Him, and then let Him know that you plan to act on it. But as you are praying this, ask that if this is not part of His direction that He stop it and redirect you.

My experience with this has been very beneficial, I think what it does for me, is it gets me moving and at the same time it shows God that I'm willing to act. I found myself many times in the past praying for direction, and hindsight has shown me that He answered the prayer and what was left for me to do was to take action on it and get over the fear of "is this God, or is this me".

This can be a very tricky area which is why I say to take "prayerful" action.

5) Don't be afraid to make mistakes

This one is so important I can't stress it enough. Once you start using your talents prayerfully, at times you may feel completely lost. Don't worry it's natural, after all, you are in unchartered territory sometimes, but be encouraged that it's better to go for it and mess up than to be intimidated and not act.

Also, remember friends, that God is our Father. Remember what it was like to ride a bicycle for the first time? I remember how painful it was when I crashed and how hard I cried, but more importantly, I remember my Dad there to pick me up and get me back on that bike again.

Also be encouraged to know that you can relax in your talents, they are there purposefully, that's why you hear so many creatives that say if they didn't do x, y or z they have no idea what they would do, it's all they know.

Indeed, and that desire and need to create was from the beginning.

Recap

1. Once you have identified a desire to do something, you need to ask God what to do with that desire.
2. Thank God for that desire.
3. Listen.
4. Take prayerful action.
5. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Photo: Marlon Vidal

Who do you "Identify" with, meaning; where do you draw your spiritual and creative power from?

The Source

"Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me."{ref1}

Our friends, family, church, neighborhood or country of birth, does not define us. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are defined and identified by Him and with Him, and Him alone.

To identify with anything else, will prove to be a stumbling block. Do you dance, paint, write, act, sculpt, bake, surf, do make up, sing, etc?

Well, begin to trust the Lord with those talents or abilities. Abide in Him, and show the world a side of Christianity they never thought existed. Don’t be afraid, but bold. Don’t be double minded; have a sound mind and with wisdom and prayer, walk through new doors.

Let Him show you how to truly live a life of surrender, so you can in turn become victorious.

Allow yourself to be molded by Him, so the beauty that is formed in your life, will be seen in the eyes of others; for His glory. Become less, so He can become more. The spotlight is not for you to showcase yourself; but, for Christ to showcase His power, love, mercy, compassion and gift of salvation.

Remember, we are "Living Sacrifices." How can our Creator be such a creative force, and leave us without the ability to do the same. The world is our temporary residence, let’s do all we can in it, to make our heavenly Father proud. Go out into your respected fields of art and bring the light and salt with you.

Photo: Marlon Vidal

At the closing months of last year, I told the Lord, in my heart that; "I would not allow fear to hinder me from taking chances or taking risk for the duration of my time on the face of this earth."

No Compromise

And I plan on sticking with my word. Fearful people never prosper! They compromise and stick with what they know and what is safe. For you it may be something else. It may be insecurities, low self esteem, feeling you’re not good enough, talented enough, smart enough, articulate enough; whatever it may be, it’s not greater than the God you serve.

Consider the story of Moses, when the Lord said to him, "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt." Moses’ reaction was the typical response of anyone who had been abruptly struck by fear, when he said; "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God in His infinite love and patience said, "I will be with you."{ref1}

Well, you know how the story ends. Moses delivers the people from Pharaoh, they crossed through the Red sea and the Lord saw to it that Pharaoh and his army was terminated, as they attempted to cross over as well.

God is faithful in every situation! I have found that out in my own life. When it comes to paying rent, bills, putting food in my stomach and getting back into school, after a six year break. So, if He is faithful in the little things, He will be faithful in the greater things as well. There is no need to fear, because fear is not your master, Almighty God is!

Also be encouraged by Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 5:6.

Individuality

What does that have to do with anything? Only for me to say this, "if you are living your life, trying to copy someone else - then God is a bit disappointed; because He wants to see you be an individual, not a copy-cat."

There was one Moses, one King David, one Elijah, one Paul, one Peter and, one Jesus. And if there is any preacher, writer, actor, dancer, painter, sculptor, poet, etc; that you look up to - know that, there is only one of them as well. So, be you.

Pray to the Lord that, He will make you an individual, who is under His grace and mercy and power. Mentors are great, but they were placed in our lives to inspire; not to be puppet masters.

I will leave you now, to take inventory on yourself and to focus on this, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." {ref2}

Photo: Clint Fisher

Someone I know got a gift recently. Well, they've had it a long time. I should probably say that they recently discovered it. Kind of like they were given the gift a long time ago, but just started to use it. She just opened it up, so-to-speak.

Her gift comes from God and it is in the form of really awesome photography skills. She is just amazing with that camera!! I wanted for quite some time to talk to her about it, because I became an overnight fan of her work.

Encouragement

Knowing that her career and educational background are so different from the image of a fashion photographer or a photojournalist, I wondered if her passion for photography would try to blend all of her other interests, ignore them or just keep the camera clicking as a hobby. I felt inspired to ask her about where she was at with this new found love in her life and encourage her to keep the fire burning!

Then I realized that I needed a nudge to keep the fire about my gifts and talents burning, too. And so do you.

With gifts, they are there to make you happy plus serve a purpose. A sweater should be worn, jewelry displayed, a song should be sung...

Some gifts kind of come with requirements, too...As they are there for the recipients pleasure and benefit, they come with instructions on how to be used with the expectation that there is more to this gift than meets the eye. They have a responsibility to change the life of the user so that they can change the life of someone else...

Dry Clean Only

That same sweater might come with wash instructions on the label, or the toy car with a manual.

This way, the sweater can be preserved throughout the time of ownership and the car can be rightfully operated for whomever takes the chance to play with it. Your talents are gifts that not only delight you, but others. Never underestimate where God can take you with it or to who God will take you with it.

The Bible talks about our gifts making room for us- this means that they will take us somewhere. A blessed place He has chosen for us. A place to help others or to be rejuvenated, or simply to bring us back into His presence. A place to enjoy Him all over again.

Gifts also empower us. They give us something to face the world with. How hyped and energized does a child feel on Christmas morning when you give him that superhero cape he wanted all year? No sibling, friend or foe can mess with him now!! He is invincible!!

How powerful I bet my friend felt when her family gave her this incredible camera she was craving for her birthday. Ha! Look out! No one can touch me!, she probably thought. In your face, amateurs!

And how protected did you know you were when you understood the gift of your salvation? Look out, Devil!! Nothing could separate you from God's love, no one could snatch you away. No power could offer you that unspeakable joy and peace. You were a force to be reckoned with. You were also given a great responsibility.

To hide such a gift would be cruel, selfish, so the Lord left you with care instructions. He gave you the Great Commission and

Go Beyond The Hobby

And it is criminal not to develop your gifts and talents, these precious things from God. With your talents, I urge you to see them as more than a hobby, but a part of your lifestyle. Too often we separate the arts and anything creative, but put them off as a "treat,' something to the side. A dessert can be a treat, but isn't it still a part of the whole meal, just like an appetizer or the entree or the beverage?? It is special, but why not look at it as being just as important?

Even in schools, it is treated like the hobby and not a main subject. The creative arts are just as-not more or less-important than history, math, or the sciences. They are all ways of learning and experiencing the world. They, in fact, are all connected to each other the same way are bodies, our limbs and organs, are connected and need each other, too.

Nurture your gift, strengthen your gift. Thank God for it everyday the same way you are thankful for a meal or thankful to have traveled safely to work. Tell God you will honor Him with this gift! This pleases Him the same way your old aunt might feel when you wear that old Christmas sweater that only she likes you in.

And don't think about what other people have to say about your gift in the sense of them telling you how to handle it. Let God write the manual, He has given you the Bible. He has given you the Holy Spirit.

Share your talents and learn to serve others with them, too. Enjoy the gifts God has given you. Aren't gifts supposed to be fun? Open up and go out and play.

Photo: Clint Fisher

For the last couple of years I've been thinking about this idea of a cool Jesus. It seemed to surface from different conversations I would have with people, as well as conversations I would overhear in this tightly cramped city of New York— in which you overhear everything. It would usually go something like this- Person A: "I'm not religious but I consider myself spiritual" Person B: "Oh really? what do you practice?" Person A: "I'm into meditation, Buddhism, and Yoga". Person B: "That's cool, I love the Dalai Lama".

The "J" Word

I began to think about Jesus, and the enormously powerful effect he has of silencing conversations at the very mention of his name. I imagine some of you know what I'm talking about, you are amongst a group of people having dinner, or on some social occasion and someone brings up "Jesus" and suddenly a symphonic muse of crickets fill the atmosphere. It seems we are living in a time where its cool to mention anything but Jesus.

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

My theory is that its all about the name. By and large people seem to be more comfortable talking about God in the abstract, once you start getting into specifics things get complicated. Here in NYC, God can mean anything from a force, a tree stump (yes we do have a few trees here) to an individual, in the theory that "we are all gods", and of course a large percentage of new yorkers who are athiests or agnostics, the former saying there is no God and the latter saying that God is unknowable, supposing human beings ill-equipped to judge the evidence.

So what's so cool about this Jesus guy?

Well the first thing, Jesus is God and God is cool. Let's also think about what makes a person cool. Here's a few things that I think make for a cool person.

Someone who listens

I really like people who listen, there's nothing like having something to say and being able to say it to a good listener. Every word that you say they pay close attention to. It's as if no word that you say to them is wasted or that it gets past them somehow without them noticing. When you speak to them, you are their only focus, the only important thing to them at that moment. Jesus listens. He is called our Counsellor {ref1}, and note the capital C. There is no earthly counsellor or person for that matter that has the ears that Jesus does. Jesus never sleeps, he's available 24/7 and he's never too busy for us; when you speak you have his undivided attention.

Someone who helps

Have you ever felt like King David? Have you ever had your back against the wall with no help in sight? or have you ever needed help in something that seemed so easy but you weren't able to do it? how about something that seemed virtually impossible to you that you could never do by yourself?

The apostle Peter was in a situation just like that, he and the other disciples saw Jesus walking on the water towards their boat one night, and when they realized that it was Jesus, Peter said "if it's you call me to you", and Jesus said "Come". So Peter began to do the impossible and walk on water but as soon as he saw the strong winds on the sea, he got scared and started to drown. Immediately the Bible says, Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said "O thou little faith wherefore didst thou doubt"? {ref2}

Jesus helped Peter do what he thought was impossible and not only that but Jesus also helped Peter when he got scared and started to drown, and then encouraged him to believe Him and not doubt.

Someone who loves

Love is the bottom line here. Every good characteristic or trait that you may admire or desire in a person finds its root in love, and in each and every single one of us there is a need to be loved. It's a total slogan and it sounds sappy but it's completely true. Many people will not admit it but that doesn't change the truth of the fact.

Jesus was a unique man who did unique things, and during his day it wasn't always the most fashionable thing to say that he was your friend. I can remember my adolescent days where peer pressure reigned supreme and "the cool kids" would see me talking to one of my "uncool" friends. The awkwardness of wanting approval from the popular ones challenged my integrity to maintain my own identity and talk to, or hang out with, anyone I wanted to, "cool" or not.

Getting Real

I haven't escaped the desire of wanting to be liked, but I've come to understand that what matters most is the way you treat people, obviously, the way you would want them to treat you. One of the biggest things that used to annoy me about Christians was the pushy ones who always try to ram Jesus down your throat, and then throw guilt trips on any other Christian who wasn't doing the same, inferring that they were somehow ashamed. The most substantial growth I have experienced in this life has come from just being "me".

Yeah, I just said it- two words commonly frowned upon when it comes to identity in Christ- "personality" and "individuality". We are supposed to not think about ourselves, but others right? This is definitely true in a sense, but it was what had me completely bamboozled when it came to recognizing the fact that God made me; as dorky and weird as I am to be me. This is my job, to strive to be the best that I can be, but most importantly to be who God created me to be, the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.

Now a big shout out to all the artists and creatives out there, how are we to create from what's in us, in our individuality, in our personality, if we aren't truly being ourselves? This identity, this true identity is found in the one who created us, as individuals. And the coolest thing by far is that as an individual, Jesus knew who he was and was himself.

Jesus is cool because in Him we find our direction to be who he created us to be— completely unique individuals. Very cool.

What is "Talent"? Well, according to the "New Illustrated Webster's Dictionary Thesaurus," this is the definition without adding to it: Talent (tal'ent) N. A particular and uncommon aptitude for some special work or activity; a faculty or gift: a usage found on a scriptural parable in (Matt.25:14-30), mental power being considered as a divine trust.

Confirmation

I am not making this up, this is the definition that is given! When I first read this, I was in awe and had goose bumps all over. This was confirmation to my soul, and power - because I had been seeking the Lord for so long concerning the talents that He has given me; which is to act and write! The world is a scary place without directions from Almighty God - "I AM."

As I read the definition, I considered certain words and phrases such as (special work, gift, power, and divine trust). Just as in "The Parable of the Talents,"{ref1} the master goes away and trusts His servants with "His" talents, to see what they would do with them; please read and meditate on that passage of scripture and let God empower you. He is trusting you and me as well, the question to ask yourself after reading this passage is this; "am I going to be like the last servant who allowed fear to stop him?"

The Answer

How long have you been seeking God about what your talents are? I prayed for four years; at times becoming very frustrated, because I believed that God was not concerned with my talents; maybe He wanted me to be a missionary. Not True! He was giving me the answer, but I was not paying close enough attention to how the answers came.

The answer came through the people He constantly surrounded me with, who would always say, "Marlon! have you ever considered acting and, you are so good with words - why don't you try to get your poems published?" Though those words gave me hope, I was always left with my thoughts and the enemy saying the complete opposite of what they were saying.

I say all of this to say: God has not called all Christians to be missionaries. If that were the case, then who would and will reach out to people in these other professions? Fear must stop being the reason why we do not trust God for newer truths in our lives.

When I became a Christian, it was so that I stop living for myself, and begin to think of others. Almighty God wants to do more through me, I must be available - that's all, nothing more. We were not baptized with a spirit of timidity; as 2Tim.1:7 puts it:

Every art form that exist, is from God - now He wants His people to trust in Him to repossess these art forms and make them (the art forms) what they should have been in the first place.

I am trusting Jehovah for new things, and that's challenging for me, because I have listened to lies for so long. But my prayer life has changed lately. I have been asking God for boldness and courage in my spirit. I have been asking Him to help me move at the pace He wants me to move, whether it's fast or slow. I have peace in my soul knowing that I am in His will now and I can stop worrying. He has given me enough confirmation.

God Uses Artists

Now make yourself available to Him so that He can take you to places in your walk that you thought were not possible. You have not been trusted with these "divine gifts" to become a missionary or pastor; God uses artists as well to draw the world to Himself.

Especially Christian artists! Be influenced by Jesus Christ, as He shows you how to influence the world with your talents and the example of your walk with Him.

Be encouraged my brothers and sisters and meditate on these scriptural verses- Eph 6:10-18 and Romans 8:38-39.

Jesus Is and will Always be Lord of our lives once we abide in Him! Now believe Him for greater things, as He uses you along with your talents.

Here's a book that helped me a lot, "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson.

Grace and Peace to you all!!!

Related

• The Dream Giver [on amazon]