Encouraging the Christian Creative: Introduction
Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ! Welcome to Brainy Pixel’s newest blog series: Encouraging the Christian Creative (ECC).
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘discouragement’? Is it a feeling that is unfamiliar to you, or one that is so familiar, you can’t even remember what the opposite is like? When was the last time your felt encouraged in your craft?
Well, this blog series is for all of us who need a little encouragement. Whether it's the pressure to be successful and conform to the standards of the secular world, a season of exhaustion or change, attacks from the enemy or internal doubts, or even simple burnout, discouragement can come in all shapes and sizes. It is our duty as Christians, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to build one another up! 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states “[t]herefore encourage one another and build one another up…” and Hebrews 10:24 says “[a]nd let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
Over the next few months, we are going to expand on the idea of encouraging one another from a biblical standpoint with four main themes:
God is a creative being and created us in His image.
God has given us talents and abilities to use for His glory.
God instructs us to do good work.
God rested (and you need to rest, too!)
Each of these is designed around scriptural truths, chosen to comfort, soothe, and convict as needed as we look at what the Lord says about our work as Christians. As workers seeking to further the Kingdom through our creative talents, we need to make sure that we are fueling ourselves correctly with Scripture. Not only will that take a lot of the pressure off of us to blindly figure out what God expects of us, but it also helps answer a lot of questions, such as:
How has God created us to create?
What does God expect of us as workers for Him?
What kind of work are we called to do?
How can we avoid conforming to the world?
How can I love my neighbor through my work?
No matter what discouragement you are currently facing, remember that you are not alone! Not only is the God of Heaven here to strengthen you, but He has provided an entire community of people to help encourage and uplift you!
At the end of each article, there will be a section called ‘Putting it into Action’ designed to give you a small, practical application to bring the words into your life. I promise it is not thinly disguised homework! There is no pressure to actually do them, but I do encourage it for any article that might be hitting your heart or mind a little extra. It’s a good way to get the concept cemented into your brain!
Putting it into Action: Take a moment to assess both yourself and the Christian creatives around you. How is everybody doing with their projects? Is anyone feeling discouraged or burnt out? What tools are available for anyone feeling this way? Are there any Christian creative groups or clubs or ministries to help encourage one another? When was the last time someone encouraged YOU?
