All of us at one time or another have been tempted to give up, “to throw the towel in.” But giving up in defeat and despondency is very different from giving up in the face of victory.

“Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). If there is a time to give up, then it is in the context of the love of God; the same love that caused Jesus to give himself up as an offering unto God.

We may agree that some of our best creative work happens when as creatives we are able to give ourselves up entirely to the process of creating without holding back. It’s never primarily about the money. When it is, creativity (as a spiritual practice) is compromised.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

ephesians 5:2, the bible

Breakthrough creativity consistently chooses to be given up as an offering unto God. We need to resist the temptation to see ourselves as working solely or primarily for the sake of others. But even then it is working for others as unto the Lord. In reality, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men [people], knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Think about it. What actually happened on the Cross that made the difference between the downward spiral of death, for Christ and thereby ultimately for all the world, and the upward buoyancy of grace (as discussed in DAY 5 of our journey)? Christ was firm in his resolve and went through with living it out to the fullest. It was a point of decision on the timeline of eternity that changed the fate of the whole world. We too are invited to play out our lives in continuity with the creativity of Christ on the Cross, which is for eternity and beyond space and time as we know it.

As creatives, we too are naturally called and set apart to share in the creativity of God in Jesus. It is a sacred work. A holy calling. It’s got nothing to do with religion. Creativity is prior (theologically) to all religion; but not prior to Christ. It is before the foundation of the world; because Christ is before and after, the beginning and the end. The creativity of Christ is much bigger that we can imagine. We may give up on creativity. But creativity never gives up on us.

prayer

Lord jesus, sometimes i am tempted to give up, to be complacent and compromise on my creativity, be it in the artworks i produce or in my creative interaction with others. Help me to remember that i do not create in a vacuum. no one does….

help me to remember to give up creating for myself or solely for the sake of others. in your ultimate sacrifice on my behalf, i now have the freedom to give up everything that i am and all that i do to you as an act of worship. take me lord and use me for your good pleasure in the world. in your creativity there is freedom, there is life, there is hope, there is abundance. in your creative life, I have creative living. help me to give up all, without holding back. take it all lord and bless and pray and distribute me as you will for your greater glory. in jesus’ name. amen.

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