Galatians 6:1-5 The Message (MSG)
6 1-3 Live creatively, friends...4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
In today's society, we are asked from a young age what we want to do with our lives. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" has been an anthem in many of our lives as young children. "A firemen." "A nurse." "Car salesmen like my daddy." "A teacher".... or in my case, there were two things that I can remember, "Miss America and a mommy." Over the course of my 29 year old lifetime, dreams have been discovered and dreams have died. Growing up is not something to look forward to but to escape from and although I am not a mommy yet nor Miss America and never will be, I do believe that those two things play a particular role in who I am today. I am the daughter of God which means I have an eternal crown and a mother signifies someone who gives life, which is what I hope to do today by inspiring someone to jump out of their cages and boxes and freefall with Jesus into His will for their lives.
Matthew 18:2-5The Message (MSG)
2-5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.
2-5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.
I have a 2.5 year old niece and the other day as I was making pipe cleaner crowns (because my Father is a KING), I was facetiming with her and told her I was a princess as I wore my crown and she was also a princess. "Pincess". Her eyes lit up. "Pincess." It's in every little girls hearts. Eternity with the King. Kids are great because you can tell them anything and they trust and believe you when you tell them something. Caylor, my niece, now believes that she is a princess. And I hope that she never forgets it. Her sister Cora is as well and so is every single woman on this earth. Every man is a son of a King. Whether you choose to live as royalty is your choice. Sidenote: Parents, you have the greatest privilege on earth. Speak life over your children and confess God's truths over them daily. The world will often tell them everything they are NOT. The truth is what God says they are and that is something they should hear every single day. I cant wait for the day that God gives me children and when I get to celebrate daily what a beautiful and powerful creation God made in them when he put them on this earth.
"You are almost 30. It's time to grow up. You can't live the way you do forever. When are you going to grow up?"
This is something I am asked on a daily basis. As a very young adult, I had dreams to be an Oscar award winning actress. I moved to NYC at the age of 20 and went to a 2 year acting conservatory at the cheap cost of $60,000. I moved to California and at the age of 25, after a near death experience and a miracle, I realized that all of my pursuits were because I was looking for the worlds acceptance and saw fame as the way to be accepted and loved. I began to realize that God wanted me to tell stories but on paper and not on the screen. It might be both one day. It's all gonna be HIS way and by HIS will.
It's not been easy. I am ridiculed daily for my choices to follow God's call and not to conform to society's model of a normal everyday career path. "An artist's lifestyle is so unstable", they say. "You need to get another job." "It's not paying the bills." Okay I get that we have to pay our bills. But I also believe that the world's so-called "stability" is not really stability at all. It's comfort. Because you could lose your job any day. The stock market could crash. Something could happen that could rock your world so far upside down that what you thought was stable was anything but stable. There is only one stable thing in this life and that is THE rock, Jesus Christ.
So here is to all the artists and misfits and people who feel the pressure to "Grow Up":
God was the ultimate creator. We are made in his image. Jesus was a carpenter. He made things. The dream to create and explore and make things from nothing and to write and sing and dance and find beauty in the small things is a GOD THING. You might seem like you are low on the totem pole on this earth but if you are listening to God's voice and letting his voice paint the stories of your life, "YOU WILL RANK HIGH IN GOD'S KINGDOM." You are not a starving artist. You are a commissioned artist from God. He has made you for such a time as this. His heart is that creativity will start to soar in the hearts of his children and His sons and daughters become the leaders in the greatest innovation of the arts. Keep your heart open to what God wants to do with you. You are not used up goods and it wasn't your time before but the TIME IS NOW. God has been preparing to for the spotlight. Little kids never judge their creations. They just do it. Dancing. Singing. No inhibitions. Most of the time, when they draw a picture, they cheerfully hand it to their parents and shout, "Look what I made for you!!!!". Their parents will smile and say, "Thank you! It's the most beautiful photo I ever have seen. I am putting this on the fridge." And then their parents put their work on the fridge for all to see. God is doing the same thing with all of the artists in the world. All that He is asking is that you LIVE CREATIVELY. You do the work and he will be the one that puts it up for everyone to see. My prayer is that you are encouraged today to live with a childlike spirit, a relentless pursuit for His Kingdom, and that you begin to see that not growing up isn't so bad.
