I was reminded recently that God is the great creator. He made the heavens and the Earth, the stars, the plants animals and he made man. But – and this is where we all need to pay attention – when he made us, when he made man, OK and women, he made us in HIS image.
God created us to be like him.
He’s given us all the ability to create like He does. Obviously on a much lower scale but we do create. We create art, music, architecture, movies, cars and machines – just to name a few.
While I was thinking about this ability “to create” something struck me that humbled me and quite frankly, scared the crap outa me and, if you write it should scare you too.
Everything God created He spoke into existence.
We all know that right?
Genesis 1:3 says “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
He said it.
He said.
Said.
Have you figured out why or how that humbled me, why I think each and every writer needs to take a few moments and feel a bit humbled themselves?
The gift I have been given, the skill I am trying to cultivate and develop to further God’s kingdom is the very tool he used to start, well, everything.
Words.
In a matter of speaking God was the first writer and he’s passed that on to us. The way I use words to paint pictures, stir laughter or draw attention to something is the same way God created the world around us.
Now, if that does not humble you I am not sure you’re paying attention.
Looking at my writing in this frame almost makes want to quit. How can I possibly dare to try to outdo the Lord? Where do I get off having the audacity to compare these pitiful little posts to all of creation?
Well, I am not comparing them to the level of creation – at least I am not trying to. I mean God’s given us all different gifts,
different abilities and I recognize that God has given me the ability to write well.
It’s the skill he chose to give me to communicate thoughts and ideas. To point to him and not to myself.
Humbling.
I struggle at times with the thought that God could use me and the words I write to glorify himself.
Words.
My words.
Mere words. Or are they?
When I think of the importance that the word “word” takes on in the Bible it make me tremble with anticipation. How “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Uh-oh.
With this, I begin to see that I have not just been given a gift. No, it’s not just an ability. It is a responsibility.
This “ability” I have, that many people have is far more important than I used to think.
And that is humbling.
5 Comments
I do agree, but for me there is more to it. Now before you raise that eyebrow, before you stop reading this, before you whisper “what a nut job”. I am a God fearing Christian, but as a writer I am very “open minded”, very humbled by the power of “words”, and I give credit where credit is due.
That being said, there is that reality that God may not exist, He may just be a figment of one’s imagination. It is this thought, this one fragment of my soul, that as a writer I am humbled. I am humbled not just because I can put my thought to paper, but because God has gifted me with an “open Mind” and the choice of whether or not to believe in Him.
Unlike you, I write for myself, for my own sanity, I share nothing that I pen. My journal bursts with fragments of paper that contain thoughts from my heart and soul. The amazing thing is, is that each and every time I read back through my thoughts I find myself thanking God for all I have. So he gave you the “ability” of writing to share His word, He give be the “ability” of writing to keep my faith.
Nick, thank you for leaving a comment. I honestly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
I am a bit confused – and I can only assume you think I am going to attack you and/or your comment which is simply not the case. You open by professing that you’re a “God fearing Christian” then spend the rest of your comment listing off why you don’t believe. I hope you can get this squared away. There is no greater question in life then what you believe about Jesus and God. I will be praying.
I, too, think of myself as being “open minded”. Being devoted to Christ in no way impedes my willingness or ability to “think” in fact, it increases both. He’s “gifted” us all with the freedom to believe in him or not. Like I said, it is what we do with that freedom that determines our eternity.
I am not able to agree that “…there is {a} reality that God may not exist…”. You can choose to not believe but that choice does not negate His existence. And I would argue that you do, in fact, share your writing otherwise, how do you explain the above comment?
Thanks again for commenting. I hope you read and comment some more.
if you are still there tonight stand fast i am almost done
Mike,
Thanks for the quick response. I don’t believe you are attacking me, I look at it as more of a defensive posture, but I will try to explain because my writing style is more of a “read between the lines” style, like I said I never share what I pen (but there is a first time for everything).
I was not insinuating that you were not open minded or that you do not know how to think, I was simply making an observation that all writers are open minded “as a writer”. When I wrote that God has gifted me with an open mind, I was refereeing back to being a writer.
I don’t believe I “listed” anything and never said I don’t believe. My last statement ties it all together, “He gave me the Ability of writing to keep my faith” God is amazing, and he puts each and every one of us through different trails in our lives (I know you know this, but bear with me.) I have been through rough times, and some have been bad enough to question my faith. These are the times that when I put my life on paper God reveals Himself through my writing and confirms His existence, and with that confirms my faith. That, in itself is humbling.
Again I meant no disrespect
No disrespect felt at all. Your life and experiences are what they are, as are mine and Joe’s and Mary’s and so on. And you’re certainly entitled to your doubts about faith – I’d be lying if I said I never had any and so would anyone that ever claimed to walk with God – or was searching for something to fill holes in their lives.
I get what you’re saying about how God reveals himself to you through your writing – when you go back and read your journals – I feel the same way about the journals I keep. I thik God reveals himself to each of us in a different way based on our lives, trials and where we are emotionally and spiritually.
Again, I appreciate your comments and I hope we can continue this discussion and have many others.