A
while back, my church asked me to speak at our youth group about incorporating artistic
talents with ministry. I thought I would share with you as well!
Growing up, I was rarely nervous at church, until someone said ministry. Whenever a missionary come to my church and spoke, I always wanted to run and hide, plugging my ears from their message. Why, you may ask? Because I knew I could never be a missionary. I thought I was a horrible Christian. I couldn't pack up all my belongings, travel across the ocean, and sit in the dirt with someone who doesn't speak my language, trying to share Jesus. I thought I let my Savior down every time I freaked out whenever missionaries, outreach, street ministry, YWAM, or any other ministry was mentioned. I always felt knots in my stomach and crippling shame.
I wanted to be a good Christian though, so I tried to do mission outreaches. In high school, I went to Mexico for a week to build houses. I also did an outreach for the homeless. My family and I had always helped at church, assisting in nursery, children's church, and baby-sitting the VBS kids. I tried to really get into it. I tried to be my best, to be the good missionary Christian I knew I should be. But it never seemed to work.
Missionaries and people with outreaches always talked about their work with a passion and excitement I couldn't grasp. I was missing the peaceful joy of the Lord they all had while ministering. I thought I wasn't doing it right. I thought I wasn't being holy enough or saying the right magic words to make people want to become a Christian. It was very disturbing for me.
Then one day, when I was thinking about my shortcomings, something occurred to me. God had never told me he wanted me to be a missionary. He never told me to partake in outreaches, he never directed me to go to third world countries, and he never open doors for me to go either. All he instructed me to do was write.
So I asked God, “is my ministry writing?” I think he had been trying to tell me that for a while because he said very gently and very obviously that yes, my ministry is my writing. That was why whenever I did outreach it felt forced and not fulfilling. God wants me to write, not becoming a missionary, so He was not going to make me feel like I belong where I do not. Sure, I still had a good time and felt God on the mission trips, but not like I do when I write.
I think the church community focuses more on the obvious ministry outreaches whereas God seems to bless an individual with talents to be used for the kingdom. I am an artist. Artists are not usually spoken of in a ministry setting. However, that doesn't stop God. He still sees my work as a ministry and still spurs me on even when I think nothing good will come from The Wizards Legacy.
What's your proof? You may be asking. For all you know, I
could be another artsy, tree-hugger who just wants to keep doing what I'm doing
and slap a religious sticker on it to say I'm holy.
If you feel out of place when people talk about typical ministry and you are drawn to something artistic, dance, paint, pencil, pen, music, and so much more, that's okay. God is a God of creativity and Imagination. Just look at the sunsets, our galaxies vastness, the human body’s intricacy, and the goofy strangeness of the Platypus, and you'll see what imagination our God has.
Present to God your artistic talent. Allow him to shape it into ministry. It'll look different, it'll look strange, and people might not think that it's a mystery at all. That doesn't matter. All that matters is for you to do what God calls you to do. And He will bless the works of your hands.
Well, I have two forms of proof.
First of all, artistic ministry is found in the Bible. During King Solomon’s reign, a man named Bezalel was “filled with the Spirit of God with wisdom, with understanding with knowledge and with all kinds of skills” (Exodus 31:3). He sounds like a spiritual Guru to me! A guy with that kind of wisdom and authority should minister and preach without breaking a sweat, right?
Growing up, I was rarely nervous at church, until someone said ministry. Whenever a missionary come to my church and spoke, I always wanted to run and hide, plugging my ears from their message. Why, you may ask? Because I knew I could never be a missionary. I thought I was a horrible Christian. I couldn't pack up all my belongings, travel across the ocean, and sit in the dirt with someone who doesn't speak my language, trying to share Jesus. I thought I let my Savior down every time I freaked out whenever missionaries, outreach, street ministry, YWAM, or any other ministry was mentioned. I always felt knots in my stomach and crippling shame.
I wanted to be a good Christian though, so I tried to do mission outreaches. In high school, I went to Mexico for a week to build houses. I also did an outreach for the homeless. My family and I had always helped at church, assisting in nursery, children's church, and baby-sitting the VBS kids. I tried to really get into it. I tried to be my best, to be the good missionary Christian I knew I should be. But it never seemed to work.
Missionaries and people with outreaches always talked about their work with a passion and excitement I couldn't grasp. I was missing the peaceful joy of the Lord they all had while ministering. I thought I wasn't doing it right. I thought I wasn't being holy enough or saying the right magic words to make people want to become a Christian. It was very disturbing for me.
Then one day, when I was thinking about my shortcomings, something occurred to me. God had never told me he wanted me to be a missionary. He never told me to partake in outreaches, he never directed me to go to third world countries, and he never open doors for me to go either. All he instructed me to do was write.
So I asked God, “is my ministry writing?” I think he had been trying to tell me that for a while because he said very gently and very obviously that yes, my ministry is my writing. That was why whenever I did outreach it felt forced and not fulfilling. God wants me to write, not becoming a missionary, so He was not going to make me feel like I belong where I do not. Sure, I still had a good time and felt God on the mission trips, but not like I do when I write.
I think the church community focuses more on the obvious ministry outreaches whereas God seems to bless an individual with talents to be used for the kingdom. I am an artist. Artists are not usually spoken of in a ministry setting. However, that doesn't stop God. He still sees my work as a ministry and still spurs me on even when I think nothing good will come from The Wizards Legacy.
What's your proof? You may be asking. For all you know, I
could be another artsy, tree-hugger who just wants to keep doing what I'm doing
and slap a religious sticker on it to say I'm holy.If you feel out of place when people talk about typical ministry and you are drawn to something artistic, dance, paint, pencil, pen, music, and so much more, that's okay. God is a God of creativity and Imagination. Just look at the sunsets, our galaxies vastness, the human body’s intricacy, and the goofy strangeness of the Platypus, and you'll see what imagination our God has.
Present to God your artistic talent. Allow him to shape it into ministry. It'll look different, it'll look strange, and people might not think that it's a mystery at all. That doesn't matter. All that matters is for you to do what God calls you to do. And He will bless the works of your hands.
Well, I have two forms of proof.
First of all, artistic ministry is found in the Bible. During King Solomon’s reign, a man named Bezalel was “filled with the Spirit of God with wisdom, with understanding with knowledge and with all kinds of skills” (Exodus 31:3). He sounds like a spiritual Guru to me! A guy with that kind of wisdom and authority should minister and preach without breaking a sweat, right?
And,
best of all, he was an artist who, and I quote, “was gifted in all kinds of
crafts” (vs. 5). He was the man in charge of making the temple of God
beautiful. He oversaw the ornate carvings. He led the stitch work of the priest
intricate uniforms and the curtain to the Holy of Holies. He carried out God’s
detailed design of the Ark of the Covenant. He had great responsibility and God
blesses the works of his hands. He used his artistic ministry to bring praise
to God and frame God's glory within the splendor of the Temple.
My second piece of proof is this: a ministry led by God will change people's lives and give people revelation about who God is and what he has done for them. True ministry as blessed by God and is not just human effort but Divine effort. Therefore, you be the judge when you read my books. I have had readers tell me their eyes were opened to a side of the Spiritual World they never considered before. Others said they could relate to the struggle and lies certain characters heard and learn for themselves how they should respond when hearing those lies. God's word does not return void and what he touches does not die. My books are saturated with his truths and I know he writes with me every day. Take a look and see for yourself if art can be a true ministry. Click here.
Because I have pursued writing, God has lead me to speak at various churches, sharing what I have learned and, hopefully, inspiring others to follow the dreams God has given them. I have been on the radio, had a TV interview, had several books signings, and several conversations that would not happen without becoming an author. Each time I speak, more people are learning how to use their gifts for God.
My second piece of proof is this: a ministry led by God will change people's lives and give people revelation about who God is and what he has done for them. True ministry as blessed by God and is not just human effort but Divine effort. Therefore, you be the judge when you read my books. I have had readers tell me their eyes were opened to a side of the Spiritual World they never considered before. Others said they could relate to the struggle and lies certain characters heard and learn for themselves how they should respond when hearing those lies. God's word does not return void and what he touches does not die. My books are saturated with his truths and I know he writes with me every day. Take a look and see for yourself if art can be a true ministry. Click here.
Because I have pursued writing, God has lead me to speak at various churches, sharing what I have learned and, hopefully, inspiring others to follow the dreams God has given them. I have been on the radio, had a TV interview, had several books signings, and several conversations that would not happen without becoming an author. Each time I speak, more people are learning how to use their gifts for God.
Please
understand, I am not talking against standard ministries and outreaches. They
are much needed in this world and I greatly respect those able to pursue it. I
know I cannot. I simply want to encourage you to discover what path God has for
you. What talents has He gifted you with? How can you bring glory to His name?
Ask Him.
I
asked Him countless times what my mission for my life is, and He was silent for
an annoyingly long time. You know why? Because I was not ready to hear it. My
lack of confidence in my writing would inhibit my trust in God’s dreams for me.
Nor was I ready for such a responsibility. So, if you ask God what ministry He
wants for you and He doesn’t answer, don’t be discouraged. Continue life,
developing your craft, may it be art, people skills, caring for others, baking,
sowing, serving, leading, teaching, and so on. He will reveal His dreams for
you when the time is right. Trust Him.
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