Created to Create

read time: 8 mins

Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35‬:‭30‬-‭35‬

I was motivated to get up and write because I'm up late and being inspired by some old albums I stumbled across. The chords and musical decisions that were being made were captivating. The lyrical direction and rhetorical structure piqued my interest. I’m reminded of the stories behind the songs and the emotions I felt when I first heard these pieces. I’m reminded of the moments in my life these songs served as soundtracks for and the feelings they helped me express. But I'm further reminded of my love for music. I'm reminded of my love for lyrics and pitch. I'm reminded of my love for creative communication and expression. Staying up late and listening to albums reminds me of my childhood. It reminds me of sitting in my Nashville bedroom, imagining and dreaming. It reminds me of some of my most pivotal moments of self-exploration and discovery. It reminds me of me. 

I’ve always been drawn to art. I love color, beauty, and expression. Some of my favorite moments have been staying up late, and writing songs with friends or writing devotional thoughts alone with God. As a kid I would carve out time to listen to albums over and over again, ruminating over the baselines, poetic lyrics, and artistry. I'd be brought to tears as I connected with the artist's expression and empathized with the word pictures and musical moments they created. Listening to hip-hop is actually what made me realize I was in love with words, storytelling, and creative communication. I didn’t even know God would further use that love of words and creative communication for preaching and writing. But it's not just music and words I love. I love visuals. I love beauty. I used to want to be a photographer or videographer. I can watch music videos and be inspired by the framing, clothes, and colors. I love storytelling. I love talking to my brother, Pax about the stories and intentional cinematography used in good movies. I even find myself perusing places like Restoration Hardware to admire furniture and architecture I can barely dream of affording. I used to want to be a stylist or graphic designer. I grew up being inspired by the stylistic choices, individuality, and freedom of people like Tyler the Creator, Mick Jenkins, and ASAP Rocky. I would study the story and impact of Virgil Abloh and the freedom of Jean-Michel Basquiat. I remember being mesmerized and almost brought to tears as I watched Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God promotional shoots. Even though I never got good at it, I was inspired to borrow my grandmother's sewing machine so that I could create for myself. I’d watch runway shows and dream of what I could create. I loved my time designing clothes for a brand I wanted to start. I loved wearing creative outfits as I explored beautiful cities and admired well-plated food. A good amount of my time in high school was spent thrifting and finding unique pieces to create outfits and then trespassing in abandoned factories and train stations to do photo shoots. I love expression and creative freedom and I believe you do too. 

I guess I say all this because I've always been a creative. Something about creativity has always made me feel alive. I was asked what my favorite part of today was and I answered that it was styling my outfit this morning and then sitting down during dinner to work on a freelance graphic design project for a friend. I love to create. I love words. I love music. I love color. I love expression. I love freedom. To be honest, adventurous yet introspective creativity are some of the things that make me free. However, as I've grown, I can feel that freedom being stifled. 

Maybe you feel the same thing at times. While I still feel the draw to creative expression and exploration, I feel like I have on a leash. Maybe it's the opinions of others. Maybe I dim my light so that I don't become a distraction. Maybe I'm tired of being hurt by others not understanding and not accepting the vulnerable parts of myself that are being expressed through my creativity. I don't know, but what I do know is that it needs to stop. Jesus calls us to shine our lights boldly with the same voice and seriousness He used to tell us to love our neighbor. It's a command. You are designed to shine and hiding your light is actively fighting against the will of God for your life. 

Aside from just being called to shine, this text tells us that creativity is intentional. This is the first time the Bible says someone was filled with the Spirit. The first response to being filled with the Spirit was not speaking in tongues, giving tithe or even loving your neighbor. It’s creativity. The Spirit of God births creation. We see this concept in Genesis. The Trinity's first response is to create, and if that Spirit of God is in you, you should expect the same thing. 

I've actually noticed that the moments I felt closest to God were also the moments I felt most creative. Seeking the heart of God is seeking the heart of a creative. Seeking the revitalizer of worlds will have you craving a revamp of your own. Seeking the one who recycles mourning into dancing, gets beauty from ashes, and turns bones into armies and seas into highways and graves into gardens will have you also craving recreation. Having God in you will have you seeing the world as God sees it. God in you will have you craving what God craves. An infilling of a creative God is just asking to seek to create yourself. Creativity is a response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Don't run from it. 

The text doesn't just show us that creativity is a response. The text shows us that it is a responsibility. Bezalel is specifically endowed and prepared with the skills needed for his calling. The Lord has filled Bezalel with His Spirit, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He was a master craftsman, and an expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He was skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He was a master at every craft. This wasn't kindergarten arts and crafts. Bezalel was practiced and valuable. He wasn't just good for his age or good for someone you grew up with, he was good good. He was developed and refined. He had taken the time to critique himself and grow. He had become committed to being the best at what was placed in his hands. Like the servant with the 5 talents, Bezalel took what the master gave him and multiplied them. Bezalel wasn't just good, he was great. God had specifically arranged for him to be filled and skilled so that he could fulfill what was needed for the tabernacle at that specific moment in history. God had specifically chosen Bezalel and prepared him to serve the space he was placed in with his creativity and skillset. 

I believe God has done the same for you. I believe God has done the same for us. God has given us skills and gifts that we must develop for His purpose. We have been designed with our own specific eye, taste, skill, and perspective for the purpose of revitalizing the church and the world at large. 

God has called creatives but I believe there is a great deficit of functional Bezalel’s. When you study the creation of the Tabernacle Bezalel worked on or the Temple Solomon worked on, you see a gaping disparity between God's house then and many of God's houses now. There was a sense of beauty, honor, and pride. People were excited to come to church. Churches were world wonders. People from all nations came to see what the church was doing because of how profound it was. There was an intentionality. Every stitch was expertly thought through and arranged to communicate the story, glory, and weight of God. When we go to the book of Revelation and look at the pictures painted of the throne room, we see lights, smoke, color, music and beauty. It’s like a majestic concert and light show. We see that heaven hasn't thrown away this elegance and awe-inspiring grandeur in worship. 

So, what happened? I believe many of us are living below our creative mandate. Yes, we don't all have the same gifts or callings or resources or abilities but I can tell we aren't giving our all because we aren't proud of it. When you are proud of what God is doing in His house you tell others about it. You pour even more into it.

I believe there is more in us that God wants us to give back. Why aren’t we singing new songs from the wellsprings of our hearts like the angels do instead of treating praise and worship like a jukebox to meet a song quota or a mediocre karaoke party? We remodel and put effort into the interior design of our homes but we are embarrassed to bring friends to our church lobbies. We are running the same ole ministries in the same ole ways like a checklist of chores instead of an adventure to save souls with the lover of our soul. True creativity would bring a sense of honor and excitement. Instead of going through the motions, we would be passionate and bold. Instead of clocking in and out of the church like a summer job, we’d be energetically dreaming throughout the night about what God may be up to next, like a kid anticipating what gifts may be under the Christmas tree. 

You may be like “Pace, we don't have the funding to chase those creative dreams.” And to that, I say “Oh ye of little faith.” Read the whole story. The people were so excited that they brought so much money that Moses had to tell them to stop. People will get behind a good vision. Not only that, we serve a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. That is counting the hills and not the cattle. Money isn't an issue when it's God’s project and not yours. God never gets held back because of your bank account but He can be stifled because you lack buy-in.

Some of you may still be pushing back. You may be thinking, “Pace, we don't have the personnel for the projects you're describing. I get that some churches sing all original music and have plays and thriving ministries but we don't have that gift.” “We can't make merch that actually looks good.” “We do not have the personnel for a robust media ministry or enough teachers for year-round small groups and interests-based communities.” First, I wanna say don't count yourself out. If it is God’s will, He will provide a ram in a thicket. God being Jehovah Jireh isn't just about food and money, He provides people too.

I want to be clear on something. The right people will be added for what God wants to do through them and you are there for what God wants to do through you. You may not be equipped to walk effectively through some lanes of creativity and that's ok. You're missing the point if you try to copy other churches or ministries. The point of this is that Bezalel was specifically called to use his specific gifts. God has called you to specific avenues of creativity for your specific situation that you can be proud of. I may use analogies based on gifts I identify with more but you may want to start a food truck. I know one person who taught young boys how to change tires for their ministry. I have a friend who wants to do hair care classes and use the emotions and self-care principles in hair to form a community and share the gospel. One friend mentioned how they'd love a healthy cooking class or for old married couples to adopt newly weds. Someone does marriage retreats and wants to help plan weddings. One friend just told me that they want to start a gym in their church so they can run pilates and Zumba classes for the community. This is what church should be. These are all amazing ideas that I wouldn't have the first clue in how to implement, but God has gifted each person with an individual creativity to impact the church and world in a way only they can. 

The thing you can give to God is often related to what you do for work if you are in the right career. I loved one church's merch. I found myself buying clothes from a church I had never been to because of how cool their shirts and hoodies looked. Then I found out that the creative director for menswear at Louis Vuitton was a quiet member of their church and had designed the shirts for them. A lot of the best church media people I've met have worked for their local news stations. Your social media expert may be a 13-year-old who is TikTok famous. Let them do what they're good at. A guy at my church just told me that he was the runner-up for teacher of the year in the state of Ohio. Guess who I need to get teaching some classes? 

We are called to be creative. We are called to change our churches and environments. We are called to more but many of us are stagnant because we have not asked for the prerequisite that is the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives necessary boldness. Being a creative is lonely. You'll be on a path that is only designed for you. People will not understand because they cannot understand. You will need the comfort and companionship of the Holy Spirit. Being a creative also means opening yourself up to critique. Your biggest critics will be those who are struggling to walk out their own call for creativity. We are all called to creativity, but some will critique yours instead of stepping into theirs. Envy is oftentimes a discomfort formed when you see someone else doing what you know you're supposed to do. Have grace for these people. You will need the Spirit's compassion. God may use you to show them the freedom that He wants them to experience. You will need the Spirit’s comfort, companionship, compassion and also courage. Walking alone is scary but it's worth it. Creating what hasn't been experienced before has its challenges. Fears may be valid. But I want to remind you of the same thing Bezalel was told. You were specifically called for this. God has you here for a reason. So shine.

If you want to help me continue to create, consider partnering with me through a donation. If I get enough people to commit to a consistent donation, I can scale this ministry without relying on my own personal financial situation as I have been. It’s taken thousands of my own money each year to support but if you commit to a consistent donation, many hands can make the work light as we edify the lives of thousands. Thank you.

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