I often talk with people who tell me that openly sharing their ideas or gifts in front of others feels like placing their delicate heart on a table for all to see and criticise. The emotional exposure leaves them sensitive to others’  criticism. It’s not an unfamiliar dilemma. I wonder if we all have a thing tucked away in our heart that means so much to us, we find it difficult to share or talk about?

When God breathed His life into our human bones, He called us very good and blessed us. God’s very first blessing toward us in Genesis 1:28 was of fruitfulness and reproduction. Making us in His image, the Creator placed creativity within us —  wow!

We see it in the universe.

We see it all around us on earth.

The nature of God’s Spirit is to create.

It’s a crazy thought that maybe all creative inspiration and expression was birthed into our spirit right from the creation of humanity. Even crazier, that maybe our creativity is more about responding in simple acts of love and obedience to the Creator God, than actually the end product of what is created. Mark 12:33 (NIV) puts it this way — “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

We all carry a unique story allowing us to express ourselves to God in a way no one else can… for His enjoyment and His glory, but also to lift the faith and confidence of those around us. I believe now more than ever, as a community of artists, we have a crucial part to play in presenting the Good News to a world desperately needing its Saviour.

All this to say, let’s keep our eyes up!

All creativity begins with God and belongs to Him.

That’s a releasing thought! It has the potential to set us free — out of the caged mentality we often adopt when we are creating.

We must keep our dreams and the songs of our hearts alive, because the living, breathing God is in it!

There are songs waiting to give a voice to the voiceless…

Dance routines and plays waiting to inspire the world…

Biomedical materials waiting to be developed to save lives…

Food recipes for meals waiting to be enjoyed (hello!)…

Buildings waiting to be constructed…

Books waiting to be written…

The world needs us as the Church to be creating, and in return, we need stay united and inexhaustibly inspired by our Creator. In the future, there are people who will find hope in Jesus partly because of things we have yet to create.

Colossians 1:16 (NLT) says, “God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see.”

God is powerful and we have been sent out with His power to create — so let’s get to it!

Why not start today! The 100 Day Creative Challenge is genius, and I’m excited about what it will birth in all of us in Jesus’ name!

Juliet Adekambi
(Hillsong London Worship Team)