Is creativity inspired by God? I believe so. He is the Ultimate Artist & Creator. Why else would he have created such a beautiful universe?
I firmly believe that all creativity is inspired by God, the Ultimate Artist. God loves beautiful things. Have you ever seen the ocean shore at sunset? Or a majestic mountain range in the autumn? What about a vast canyon? An immense waterfall? The deep green, tangled forest? Or your child’s sweet face?
And not only has He graciously given us the capacity to appreciate beauty, but He has also given us the ability to create beautiful things with our own hands. He has given us this gift for our pleasure and His.
Imago Dei
Genesis 1:26 (MSG) tells us:
“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature…'”
We have been created in the very image of God. We reflect His nature.
And what is the first thing recorded in the Bible that the Lord did? “In the beginning, God created…” He didn’t just create one or two things, He created a universe filled with life! And He didn’t just create in black and white. He created in an unfathomable array of color, shapes and sizes.
Obviously, our creativity is not on the same level as the Almighty’s – we cannot speak a universe into existence, for example 😉 – but we do have a spark of His divine nature (His inspiration) within us. We have the ability to appreciate beauty, as well as create beauty around us.
Job 32:8 (AMP) says,
“But there is a vital force and a spirit of intelligence in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.”
The King James Version translates “breath of the Almighty” as “inspiration of the Almighty.” And really, this can be used both ways as the word inspire means “breath” or “God-breathed” in both the Hebrew and the Greek.
Inspired Artisans
The Lord’s attention to art and design is shown in Exodus 26, when He goes into explicit detail on how the tabernacle should be decorated: with blue, purple, and scarlet threads, beautifully embroidered with images of winged guardians, loops of blue fabric, gold and bronze clasps, ram skin dyed red, intricately carved wood with an overlay of gold, and so on.
And Exodus 31:1-6 (VOICE) records that He told Moses to use certain people who were skilled in specific arts and crafts:
“Look, I have a special calling upon one of the sons of Judah. His name is Bezalel (the son of Uri, son of Hur). I have filled him with God’s Spirit, gifted him with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skills with a variety of crafts. He is an expert designer and works well with gold, silver, and bronze. He is able to cut and set gems, work with wood, and skillfully perform any craft needed to help construct the congregation tent and its furnishings. I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan to assist Bezalel. I have gifted all of Israel’s artisans with the skills needed to build everything I have instructed you.”
As an artist, I love that the Bible tells us that God Himself gave these men their artistic gifts and talents. This shows me that He cares about beauty and art so much so that He inspires (breathes His breath upon, quickens, influences, and even anoints) people to be able to create.
Now you’re like, “Um, what does this mean to me and my kids? And why do I even care?”
Well, obviously if you’re reading this post, you or your child(ren) have at least a small interest in learning about and maybe even further developing your skills in art.
And I believe that if you have a desire to create – whether it be traditional art such as, painting, drawing, sculpting, etc., or crafting, or making beautiful music, or writing captivating stories, or decorating cakes, or any area that requires you to use your creativity – then you can draw upon that spark of divine inspiration within you.
The more you depend upon the Lord and His ability and creativity, the further you can go in your chosen form of art.
I firmly believe that our gifts and talents can be developed more and more, and used to their fullest potential with the help of the Holy Spirit. Learn (and train your kids) to draw on His inspiration and creativity!