1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8 the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”
-Exodus 31:1-11 NIV
In Exodus 31:1-11, we see God telling Moses that He will send His Holy Spirit to empower his people to accomplish his creative works. We see reference to metalwork, lapidary, sewing, sculpture, tailoring, crafting, perfumers, incense making—all sorts of creative tasks. In Psalm 45:1c it says, “My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.” Exodus 31 specifically states that “I [God] have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs . . .” It is the Holy Spirit who imparts wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in our creative endeavors. And, of course, He does this because He created the act of creation. He is a creative God and if we are to be like Him, His creative spirit will be manifested in us.
The Holy Spirit is the one who cultivates skill and wisdom and understanding in our chosen creative endeavors. He has put the talent and drive inside of you to accomplish the task for which he has created you. Make no mistake, you have been set apart and put in your position with your particular passions and skills for this time in history.
But we also learn in Matthew 25:14-30 that He doesn't give us the same amount of giftings. Rather, He bestows upon us as much as He has decided to give. In the parable of the Talents, a land owner goes on a trip and leaves three of his servants with various amounts of money. One gets far more than the others, but it is clear the land owner expected his servants to invest and multiply what he had left them. For the servants who invested and grew their blessing, more was given to them. But the servant who did not invest--who returned exactly what he had been given--the land owner had harsh words for him.
While God is the one who gives us the skill and talent to create, it is up to us to cultivate that talent and skill. It doesn't matter how much you have or if you're not the best [insert job here] in the world. He expects you to create. As you create you will learn and become even more skilled and create even better things.
When we as creatives produce excellence to the best of our ability, it brings glory to God--which is the entire point.
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