Your Gift and Talent is Not for YOU!

Although your creative ability and talent is something that God has given TO you, it's primary purpose is not meant FOR YOU only. God's purpose for your gift is to be a benefit or solution for someone else who needs it. What this means to you as an artist is that the pursuit and development of your talent is important because there is someone out there who needs what you can do. God foresaw to equip you with the gift and talent that you have because He also foresaw how He needed it used to benefit others.

The bible shows us the following pattern:

-God is planning on doing something that helps the needs of a particular group of people.

-God identifies a particular person (or persons) that He wants to join him in accomplishing the plan to fulfill the need of those people.

-God equips the person that's joining Him in the work with the spiritual and/or physical capabilities necessary in helping the people that need it.

An example of this specific to artists would be Bezaleel and Aholiab, two artists from the nation of Israel under the leadership of Moses:

-GOD PLANS TO HELP A PEOPLE IN NEED-

Because of God's plan for them in the Promised Land, the nation of Israel had a need of seeing the "God with us" concept illustrated. God chose to illustrate this through the Tabernacle (the tent in the wilderness where God met with His people) along with its furnishings, including the Ark of the Covenant. He chose Bezaleel and Aholiab to be the artists that would create the tabernacle and its artistic elements.

-GOD IDENTIFIES AND EQUIPS ARTISTS TO FULFILL THE NEED-

Exodus 31:1-11 tells us how God empowered Bezaleel and Aholiab with His Spirit, in wisdom, understanding and knowledge. These two artists could have taken their gift and began using it to create whatever they wanted, but God specifically identified the primary task at hand. Their creative talent was not for a purpose isolated to themselves, but their talent was for others who needed to experience what they created.

-WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU AS AN ARTIST?

Although your gift and talent can motivate and inspire you alone, its primary purpose is to benefit or serve as a solution to others. That need can be as seemingly simple as decor and design elements for their home, church or office, to more complex issues of communicating concepts through graphic design or illustration.

-SO, WHO NEEDS WHAT YOU HAVE?

By understanding the unique capabilities of what you can do as an artist, you will know who is in need of your skills and abilities. If you understand that God has given you a passion for creating comics, along with the skill and know-how to do it, you will discover those that need to have those comics created (readers, publishers or both). If your artistic gift is Graphic Design, there are those out there in need of your skills whether as an employer or client.

The key to finding out who needs your talent is by staying connected to Christ. Within a relationship with Christ as our Lord and Savior, we communicate with Him daily through prayer and reading of His word. Through this connection, the Spirit of God will allow you to cross paths with those that are in need of your talents.

© 2005 Tony Snipes

Tony Snipes is an Artist, ministry leader, Illustrator and founder of "The Kreative Kingdom", whose goal is to help artists seek God's purpose and plan for their creative talent.

Tony's newsletter/discussion group "Art Lessons From God!" discusses topics related to:

-The artistic gift God has given artists.
-Why God has given us our artistic talent?
-What does HE want us to do with it?

Join in at "Art Lessons From God- Stuff you'll never discuss in Art Class!" We could use your perspective: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artlessonsfromGod/