channeling the divine
I keep thinking about Adam.
In the Garden.
And how God asked him to name the animals.
God didn’t ask Adam to do this because He was all out of ideas.
It’s not that His creative juices had run dry or His mojo had gone missing.
He wasn’t too tired from all that creating.
He didn’t have “creator’s block”.
God asked Adam to name the animals because He wanted to invite him into the creative process with Him.
Adam was created to create. God wanted him to be part of the incredible work of creation along with Him.
So while God formed each creature out of the dust of the ground, as only He could, He invited Adam to play a creative role as well, by determining what each animal would be called. Forever.
Even in the simple task of naming what God had fashioned by His own hand, Adam was channeling the Divine. Because creativity is God at work through us.
But God is ever a gentleman.
He will never force Himself on us.
Ever.
So when you and I sit down to create—whatever that looks like for me or for you—we are met with a challenge. A calling. A question.
Will I attempt to create on my own?
Or will I invite God into the creative process with me?
Will I fashion something solely with the strength, wisdom, and creativity in my own heart, mind, and hands?
Or will I purposefully choose to channel the Divine?
: : :
Tell us about your creative process…
@dsantistevan says:
Love this. It really shifts the perspective of my creative process from just “looking within” to prayerfully partnering with God. He is the ultimate creative genius, so that seems like a good plan, in my opinion. I wonder, how do we purposefully choose to “channel the divine”? Is it prayer?
I am curious too, how do you put this into practice Alece?
@gritandglory says:
for me it comes down to intentionality…
just as God deliberately, purposefully, and willfully invited Adam into the creative process with Him, in everything i do i have the opportunity to deliberately, purposefully, and willfully invite God into it with me.
doing things for Him, unto Him, through Him, and with Him needs to be active, not passive. too often i take for granted His presence, Spirit, and not only ability but also His desire to create in and through me. it’s not often enough that i pause long enough to whisper something as simple as “come…”
it’s a laying down of my crowns and thorns at His feet, recognizing and acknowledging that i am wholly His… my grit, my glory, and everything in between.
it’s a willful giving-back-to-Him of all He’s given me, that only comes with consciously remembering that i am merely a steward…
so yes… it’s prayer, but it’s so much more than that in ways i struggle to adequately express. and in ways i too often fail to faithfully execute.
so today — right this moment — i’m breathing in deep, and inviting Him to create through me. to create… words, art, imagery, love, life… through me with what He is creating in me.
@dsantistevan says:
beautifully spoken. I agree.
@transparencymag says:
Funny I was going to ask the same question. I definitely agree with the intentionality part. I also think, in a way, it comes naturally. If God made us to be creative, then when we sit down to write, paint, record, sing, etc., it’s an expression of Him in a way. Just the thoughts and ideas that come up, we should trust that they are there from God.
Of course, part of it is being in the right state of mind and in regular communion with Him I guess.
Good thoughts.
@chriscornwell says:
This is good. Great reminder.
God loves to accomplish HUGE things, but He loves even more to use us to accomplish them.
Grateful for a God who wants to be a part of the creative process with us.
@gritandglory says:
amen!
This is a really good reminder. We are not the creator, but made in his image. We are therefore creative.
My process is a little less artistic and a little more analytical. I have an actual formula behind how I create. I guess I am kind of a nerd in that way.
@gritandglory says:
(i expounded a little more in my comment above…)
i don’t consider myself artistic — at all — so i’m not sure where my personal process actually falls on the artistic/analytical spectrum… hmmm….
@traceepersiko says:
Sweet look at that scripture friend! I always love looking at what pics you take. You see things in some amazing ways that I would not have thought of, or detail i would not have thought to capture or pay attention to. i love watching how you have invited him to create through you by what you see. perfect!
@gritandglory says:
I love seeing Him in your photography (and words written and spoken, and dancing, and laughter…) too…
@Han_kyoul says:
this is insightful in my quest for creativity. i hadn’t thought about creativity from the perspective of God inviting man to create with him. I always thought about it from the internal perspective, that is, creativity being a God-given talent, ability that had to be drawn out.
knowing that my creativity is the divine flowing through me relieves of the pressure to pull something from nothing. and tells me that the best way to foster my creativity is foster my relationship with the divine.
@gritandglory says:
yes yes YES. so well-said!
Thank you for this very necessary reminder!
@Suzanne Acuff says:
I like this. I always think if I’m created in the image of the Creator of all things, that must mean I’m creative. I don’t feel creative, but I believe I am. Sometimes I’m just waiting and trusting to see how that plays out. I preach it to my kids so they will believe it about themselves. I’ll tell them this about Adam. :)
Wow, this is gorgeous. It brought tears. I think When we create we ARE channeling the divine. Every time. I can’t tell you how many completely “secular” things (mostly music, but plenty of other things as well) I’ve heard and seen God in–as if he penned the words. And we’re not talking sweet loving stuff, ’cause that’s easy. I mean the raw, sexual, “wrong,” … basically nothing redeemable by Christian standards … and I can hear him. I think creativity itself is part of the divine image and when we are most ourselves, we are most him … whatever that looks like.
Case in point: Adam didn’t ask God what to name the animals to make sure he got it right and didn’t offend the Creator in his creativity. He went solely off of himself. What he felt like. What they seemed like. Who knows how he did it. But that was all Adam. But he WAS channeling the divine, because that’s exactly how God wanted it. I think God likes it when we live out of ourselves and be authentic in who we are. I think we are most like him when we do this. And I think he gets excited just getting to join us on the adventurous lives we create.
@rachelrowell says:
Love how your applied this point in Scripture to us “creatives” life and reminded us to channel everything through the divine. Personally sometimes I sit down to create and forget that it can’t be about me, it HAS to be about Him and through Him.
@_kingsdaughters says:
My creative process is to write. Whenever I can I sit down and reflect on what God has done in my life and what He is saying to me and I write it down. Here is what I have written so far http://kingsdaughters21.blogspot.com/p/books.html
@atangie says:
What a beautiful discussion here. I want to ‘like’ a bunch of these comments and their commentators. They way you look at, into, around, through and amidst the scriptures makes them come alive in such a unique way. Thank you for sharing what you see here so we can look at it with you.
@hopefulleigh says:
How interesting! I’ve never thought about how God invited Adam to be a part of the process. But He totally did! I’m going to mull this over a bit further but I can already tell that this will change the way I approach my writing. Thank you, Alece!
Okay, most people wouldn’t consider coypediting a creative venture, but it is for me. I pray each day before I start working on a project for God to show me creative way to improve what I’m reading so that the author’s true intent will come through and that God would be best glorified in it – in my changes and in the author’s message. It’s ultimately for His glory. Figuring out how best to work with each author, how to suggest changes or make them and still maintain the authenticity of the author’s unique voice, subtle changes of words or turn of a phrase or rearranging words and paragraphs. I know, it sounds really nerdy (and I guess it kinda is), but I really enjoy it. It’s my (limited) way of being creative. I’m not much of a writer, but I love helping others write better. And I love that God is allowing me to be used this way!
i’m never going to open the blank page and look at it without thinking of the garden. thanks for that, friend.