I found myself reflecting on what my role as an artist is in building God's Kingdom. God has given me this wonderful skill to create things, and I don't want to waste it. I did waste it for many years. Firstly, it was my upbringing that stopped me. I was taught that being an artist is not a real job. It was considered a hobby that would ruin me. Secondly, I was afraid. The fear of not being good enough and the fear of criticism paralyzed me. Additionally, there were so many things in life that didn't allow me to pursue art, except for a few occasional paintings. I am 42 years old, and I was born with this gift, yet I didn't start using it until just 4 years ago. In 2018, I made a decision to start sharing my art with the world, and I did.
First, I decided to tell my story of how pain and challenges in life were helping me see the beauty in the ugliest places. To show that it is human nature to love and to hurt, and too often we hurt and love the same people or are hurt by those we loved. It felt good to tell my story with art. It was successful. Most of the paintings from that series were sold a long time ago and now belong to people who connected to my struggle with their struggle and found beauty in surviving. Yet this didn't bring me the feeling that this is what I meant to do. What was missing here? God and His mighty work for my salvation and redemption. If you read my other writings, you know how I realized that art played a part in my healing, but it was God who used it and ultimately restored my heart. My art shifted from telling a story of healing to honoring God and His Truth.
I spent 2022 searching for different types of paper that I could use in my paintings, as well as different ways to incorporate God's word into them. There are so many different kinds of paper available, but I finally found one that works best for me! For now, I will keep it a secret.
During my experiments, I wrote scriptures using ink, pencil, paint markers, permanent markers, and various pens. Writing so many verses from the Bible helped me to grow, and I also realized that this is not just an art process, but also my ministry.
Why would I watch a crime show or listen to some good music while painting, when I can instead pray for the person that this painting will eventually belong to? When I work on art as a gift for someone or when I am commissioned by a specific person, I have prayers and blessings pouring out of my heart with each stroke. If it is for an unknown person, I pray for their families, marriages, pregnancies, their faithfulness to God, or any other current issues that are close to my heart.
Now, until this morning, I wasn't clear if I am not sinning by putting God's word in my art. I know, this may seem to be a bit ridiculous, but the Word of God is so precious to me that sometimes I wasn't sure what I think about T-shirts with Bible verses or my paintings. Did I have a right to use my Father's own words in my art? I believe that Jesus is the Word that became flesh, and the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ. When I use the Word of God, it is like I am calling on Christ, and I was hoping that my art doesn't make it vain or meaningless because this would dishonor Him. I spent the last few months preparing to witness to parents about the progressive curriculum in NJ schools and ways to protect children from it. You may wonder how that is related to my art. Well, everything in our life is connected. My art led me to work with kids in the church. That led me to love kids more and wanting them to be raised in love, with dignity and honor, and protect them from evil. I ended up teaching parents how to use God's word in parenting and building a strong foundation of truth in our children's life. One of the verses we looked to was Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
This morning, I woke up thinking about this verse. I opened my Bible and read it a few times. I became grateful and realized that I am allowed to write God's word on things in my house to remind me of His faithfulness to us. Our Father wants us to share His word with others. We honor our God when we use His words for His glory. I trust that this is what He called me to do. I am clear that this is my ministry.I hope my art touches people's hearts beyond the experience of its beauty or depth. There is only so much we can achieve with colors, and my technique isn't that great. I hope to catch your interest, look at how different media connect and become one, and have you reflect on things. But more than this, I hope to expose you to the ever true, everlasting, and powerful Word of my Father.
If there is a heart of rock in you, His Word will soften your heart and restore it. If there is hurt and fear in your heart, the Word of God will heal it. If you need hope, Jesus is your hope. If you need wisdom, it starts with obeying His Word. And what is better than encouraging each other and praying for one another with our Father's words? Especially now, as the children of God, we need to keep our focus on God's word. Jesus told us to abide in Him.
I hope that God is using my art to help people get more familiar with His Word and that is building up my brothers and sisters in Christ. This is my ministry. I am bringing the Word of God to people's homes and exposing their minds and hearts to the Truth of Christ through my prayerful paintings. I pray for those I haven't met yet, for their salvation and their hearts. I pray for families, marriages, parents, and their children, including their unborn babies. And I pray that the Word of Christ will convict people of their need for repentance and obedience to God. I bless them in Jesus' name and I ask for them.
For me, art isn't just about making a pretty painting. Art is about bringing us closer to God, and this is the ministry God is trusting me with in this season.
God bless you.