Using Artistic Talents to Glorify God: Are We Missing a Gift?

The Artistic Gifts We Often Overlook

When we talk about using our gifts for God, we readily think of teaching, encouragement, or prayer. Artistic ability seldom comes to mind so quickly. Could a talent we think of as a hobby be another way to honor Him?

Most Christians agree that our gifts and talents come from God. God's good gifts are to be used to glorify and honor Him and these abilities are worth developing. With these abilities we are to serve one another. The Bible teacher must study. The encourager must filter out the negative to find the positive. The artist must practice and develop his or her skills as well.

Maybe you are thinking you have no creative talent, but you may be overlooking something. To use art to worship God doesn't just mean singing or playing an instrument. Are you a skilled woodworker, a quiltmaker, an amateur poet, or a painter? All of these are talents God can use.

Like any of our gifts the main purpose for them is to give glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Some abilities also serve practical needs, provide for families, or bless other people. These activities can honor God, too.

Artistic Gifts in the Bible

It should not come as a surprise that the first person explicitly stated to have been filled with the Spirit of God was an artist, Bezalel in Exodus 31:3. God endowed him with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship. His job was to design artistic works of gold, silver, bronze, jewels, and wood. Exodus 35:30 says Bezalel was "called by name" by God.

He and fellow craftsman Aholiab were given these talents for the building of God's tabernacle (Exodus 31:6; 35:34–35). Obviously, God enjoys beauty and is the source of it. His creation in Genesis was His first work of beauty. God's ongoing creative work continues in our lives. Creativity is one way we reflect our Creator. Artistic craftsmanship was important not only in the construction of the tabernacle but also in the temple that Solomon would build generations later.

Later when Solomon was beginning the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem he called for the craftsman, Hiram, to do the bronze work for it. This beautiful work incorporated lilies and pomegranates into enormous pillars. He also is called a man who was "filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work" (1 Kings 7:14-22).

Poetry and Music as Forms of Worship

God's people used not only craftsmanship but also poetry and music to express their worship. The book of Psalms was a creative work of Hebrew poetry which was intended to be sung as a hymn. In Hebrew worship, singing and poetry were interwoven. It is hard to imagine our faith without the book of Psalms.

In the Song of Solomon, a book of love poetry, the man compares his beautiful bride to the work of the hands of an artist (Song of Solomon 7:1). She is a work of art formed by a master craftsman. Many interpreters believe the bride has a deeper meaning. She is representative of the church; so this verse could be a reminder of Who it is who shapes us and forms us for His work.

We can often put in poetry thoughts that are difficult to express in any other form. One example in modern times is the powerful hymn of worship, "Before the Throne of God Above" whose melody was written by Vikki Cook. It was actually a poem written in 1863 by Charitie Lees Bancroft called "The Advocate."

What Does Psalm 33 Teach About Skillful Praise?

In Psalm 33:1-3 we are told to,

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Did you see what the psalmist said? "Praise from the upright is beautiful." Beautiful to whom? Beautiful to God. If we are blessed with the ability to play an instrument or sing we are told to do so "skillfully." We are not to use our talent carelessly. This is not to say that we have to be professionally skilled to use our creativity. We should simply give God the best of what we have in all things.

How Art Helps Us Worship and Understand God's Truth

The artistry we see in our churches is not just for looks. It is there to help us focus on the beauty and majesty of God and help us to worship Him. There is no way to reproduce Heaven on earth, but when we are in beautiful places, whether created by human craftsman or in nature, it helps us connect with our Creator.

The great cathedrals of the Middle Ages and the artistic representations inside of them are not just functional spaces but they are meant to focus our minds and hearts on our Lord who lives in beauty. The people who built them, built them to honor God.

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth." Psalm 50:2

Through pictures, symbols, and vivid descriptions, art can help communicate God's truths that may be difficult to explain in ordinary words. In the 6th century St. Gregory said this about the usefulness of art in church,

“For what writing presents to readers, this a picture presents to the unlearned who look at it, since in it even the ignorant see what they ought to follow; in it the illiterate read.”

What sort of artistic works have you noticed that have made you more aware of God and made you want to worship him?

Even the vivid, often symbolic, artistic imagery of the prophets helps us understand deeper spiritual mysteries. They help us use our imagination to turn difficult concepts like justice or divine judgment into something more understandable. Grasping what an image meant in its biblical context and what God was communicating through it, can give us insight into what it means for us today.

Let's look at Isaiah's song of the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1–7. Isaiah pictures a vineyard owner who carefully prepares his vineyard and expects it to produce good grapes. Instead, it produces worthless fruit. The picture helps us understand God's disappointment with His people, who failed to practice justice and righteousness. Isaiah explains that the vineyard represents Israel and Judah. Rather than simply telling us that God's people had failed Him, the imagery lets us picture that failure and better understand why judgment would follow.

How Churches Can Encourage Artistic Gifts

But how well do our churches recognize and encourage these abilities today? Do we support our church members who are artistic with ways for them to contribute to worship? Perhaps they might paint something for the church, write poetry that praises God that could be shared, or create beautiful woodworking like was done in the construction of the temple, "The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers" (1 Kings 6:18). Woven curtains were also created for the tabernacle which took great skill (Exodus 26:1, 31–33).

Are there church members who might create some beautiful quilt of Scriptures for your sanctuary? A church art fair could also give members an opportunity to share their paintings, quilts, photographs, woodworking, poetry, and other creative work with the congregation. It might even reveal artistic gifts that others never knew they had. In our church, one of our members crafts wooden crosses that are given to the newly baptized to commemorate the sacrament. This act of love for fellow believers shows the heart of someone who is a good steward of his gifts and talents (1 Peter 4:10).

Using Artistic Talents to Glorify God

There are many kinds of gifts we can eagerly serve God with. Not all of us have artistic talent, but many of us simply don't try because we are afraid to. "I'm not good enough," we tell ourselves before we have even tried or considered how God might use what we can do for His glory. Artistic talent is something that can be studied and improved.

If we never try to sing we certainly won't get better at it. Whatever talent we have if we submit ourselves humbly before God He will use it for His work. We worship God in "spirit and truth," even if we are not perfectly rehearsed or the absolute best at our craft (John 4:23–24).

I love a quote often attributed to Joan Walsh Anglund which says,

"The birds of the forest don't sing because they have the prettiest voice they sing because they have a song."

We have a song as well; a hymn of love to our Savior. I would challenge you to sing, create, write, paint, or explore whatever creative gifts you may have that you have not used. Don't overlook these gifts and how we can use them for the glory of God and to serve one another.

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10