Called to Create
Creativity: Disorder or Divine Design?
Have you ever been told you are creative or artistic? If you are creative, the label of eccentric, unhappy, or disorganized is likely part of the common perception of being an artist.
Well, according to the Word—our fundamental truth—nothing could be further from the truth!
In the very beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), the most memorable and profound words. The Hebrew word for create, Bara, applies only to God. It describes the act of creating from absolute nothing (ex nihilo): creating time, space, and the laws that govern that time and space. That creative capacity belongs exclusively to Him! Or, as John 1:1 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
The Genesis narrative tells us that God formed humanity in His image and likeness. And with this act, He gave every person the power to be a co-creator with Him. That capacity in Adam —translated as "Human Being"—to form, transform, invent, and create is not a flaw; it is a brilliant and bold reflection of a divine quality!
The Exuberance of God's Plan
We are about to dive into the book of Exodus, specifically chapters 25–39, dedicated to the Tabernacle. Many call these chapters "boring," but I call them the blueprint for your life’s purpose!
While God was giving these meticulous instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai, what was the people doing at the base? Tired, worried, anxious, and desperate due to Moses’ delay, they assumed he had died and they had been abandoned. Forgetting God’s wonders, they built a Golden Calf!
Doesn't that sound familiar? When uncertainty, fear, and anguish strike, we desperately seek our own ways out. We rely on our career, success, health, or limited human strategies.
But God's plan is not fear; it is the Tabernacle! It is the exuberant and non-negotiable plan to be present in our midst and restore the relationship with Him. He spared no expense for His presence! Precious woods, fine linen dyed with pure pigments, gold, silver, and bronze in abundance. In these chapters, we get to know the mind of the Almighty Designer and Creator and His creative process—and we can apply it!
1. Order and Precision: The Master Architect
When God designed the Tabernacle, every detail had a functional, symbolic, and prophetic purpose—all pointing to Him. He is the ultimate Architect. He was specific down to the smallest detail, even in the signage, space design, and colors! He communicated the exact quantities needed for its construction. The great cost estimator is precise and exact. There are no surprises, shortages, or surpluses in His work. Leaving a job half-finished is not an option for the Creator. (A powerful lesson for us: Stop leaving projects unfinished due to poor planning!)
2. Provision: Building from Abundance
God's plan requires resources, yes, but look at the powerful way He requests the provision (Exodus 25):
“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.” (Emphasis added)
God tells you to ask for what is necessary to complete His Plan. It is a collective, voluntary, and sufficient contribution. The leader who serves God asks with humility and certainty, trusting that God will move the hearts of those who will contribute to this work.
Now, contrast this with the Golden Calf. The frightened people built their idol by demand (Exodus 32):
Aaron replied, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me!”
Beware! If they demand, extort, tear from you, or make you feel fear and guilt, that is NOT God's plan! Even when they tell you it is "for God."
3. Ability: The Spirit of Creation
To carry out this great plan, God doesn't leave you to fend for yourself. He appoints those who will do the work, fills them with the Holy Spirit, and infuses them with wisdom, understanding, and creative ability.
Bezalel is the first artist mentioned by name in the Bible and the first person filled with the Holy Spirit for a practical task (Exodus 31:1-6):
“See, I have chosen Bezalel... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs in gold, silver and bronze... and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.”
His Greatest Project: You Are the Tabernacle
First there was the Garden, then the Tabernacle, followed by the Temple. But now: "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).
After Jesus' redemptive work, the veil was torn, peace was restored, and now God coexists in you through the Holy Spirit.
So, here is your challenge when you face the desert of uncertainty and difficulties: What will you do with your capacity to create?
Will you build false idols, trusting in your own limited means and plans, or will you approach Him in prayer, submitting your plans to receive His? Will you discover your purpose in His great story?
That vast creative capacity has been yours from the beginning. Decide today how you will use it! Every day is a new opportunity to create spaces, make art, compose music, start businesses, tell jokes, prepare food, write books, do tasks—and in every activity, with the gifts given to you. Seek in all things to honor God and inspire others to know Him closely and personally. Use your skills, your hospitality, your grace, your smile, your creativity, to bless others. Every day is a new opportunity to transform your environment.
With a song I will praise God’s name; with thanksgiving I will exalt him. (Psalm 69:30, NIV)