I’ve been enjoying the blog “Stuff Christians Like” quite a bit lately. Its a cleverly satirical, unchurchy analysis of Christians and how we live. It’s moving and hilarious. This most recent post, however, wasn’t as funny as it was convicting to me.
You see, “Stuff Christians Like” has become a lot more popular than the writer ever expected, with thousands and thousands of people reading it everyday. The author, a man named Jon, is always trying to deny that God is doing something through his blog, much like I deny that God is actually doing something through me, my music, my day job, or my relationships. Anyway, he quoted a section of The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield, talking about the struggle that artists of various types have with making their work their life and fully using their gifts. This was convicting to me:
The Artist’s Life
Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
Do it or don’t do it.
It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God.
(This part spoke to me the most…)
Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution.
Give us what you’ve got.
I Love it. Tell me what you think.
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April 5, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Shaun
I agree with these two parts:
{i}The Artist’s Life
Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
Do it or don’t do it.{/i}
AND
{i}Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution.
Give us what you’ve got.{/i}
Even if we’re meant to do these things, we may not always be presented with that chance, or rather realize that these things are being presented. Also, we have to be careful of thinking God is/has spoken when it’s really ourselves, or Satan trying to convince us of a false truth. We must be careful in our discernment of truths presented, and not everyone given a chance even recognizes the talents and gifts given to them. If we’re meant to do great things and don’t know it, or don’t recognize the symbols, are we then still shaming God, the angels and ourselves? Maybe we are hurting people, however, I also believe that while God may present these gifts or opportunities to someone, if one person chooses to not do, then there is always someone who will and God will find them.
I am a writer, and haven’t written in years. Does that mean I’ve missed my chance? I don’t think so. I think that it means I’m in rest, waiting for another spark of inspiration and passion to write like I used to, or rather, better than I used to.