Creative Connection #0003: Acts of Service
Big or small, what you do for others matters. 🫶
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)
We’ve all heard the Bible verse, “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and another that states “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Now, I understand that. I’ve heard them both many times. Yet, somehow, I failed to realise that God rejoices over our small gestures of service to others, just as much as he rejoices over our large expressions of love and care. In recent times, I thought that service meant performing the latter. I thought that if I helped someone, that God wouldn’t appreciate it, unless it was followed by some form of pomp and pageantry.
With regards to art, I’ve always wanted to give to others in a way that was meaningful. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, lately, I’ve been trying to fit into spaces that I had no right being a part of. I enjoy creating illustrations, character designs, logo designs to name a few, however, rather than focusing on what I was naturally gifted at and felt called to pursue, I had been focusing on other paths that I neither enjoyed nor felt inclined to take part in. I believed that what I was giving to God and others was not enough, due to comparison. I saw what others were doing and I figured that if I wanted to be successful that I would have to do the same thing that they were doing. Clearly I was wrong. It has been a miserable cycle of confusion, frustration and failure.
I believe that whatever God has for His children will be enjoyable and suit them. Even if additional effort needs to be made, it will still be fulfilling. I’ll still try new things in an attempt to better serve God and my fellow neighbour but I no longer aim to be a carbon copy of someone else, in an attempt to be successful in an area that isn’t the right fit for me. Be authentic and strive to be the best version of yourself. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”. Seek Him and put Him first in all that you do and He will perfect what concerns you.
Creative Connection #0002 - Work Can Be Enjoyable
Work Can Be Enjoyable (Enjoy your career!)
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge,
nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
‘Work’, the dreaded four letter word that makes even the toughest of individuals tremble in fear. I get it, work can be a pain. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. just to beat the traffic and make it to your job by 8:00 a.m. every single weekday can be a chore and that’s putting it mildly. It’s no wonder that most young people of this generation are opting to become online streamers and YouTubers just to avoid the daily grind that their parents have been forced to put up with since they were in their twenties (not that there is anything wrong with that, of course). Work can be arduous and difficult at times, it’s true. However, what does the Bible have to say about this issue?
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” We are to work willfully at whatever we set out to do, however, it’s imperative that we understand that the decision is still up to us to determine what we choose to do. Let me explain. You may be currently working in a dead end job. There are no opportunities for promotion nor a pay increase. You may think that’s the best you can do but God says otherwise. The Bible says in Matthew 7:7-11, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Now, I understand that not everyone can easily leave a job and work elsewhere. We may have certain responsibilities that may restrict us. Bills to pay, children to feed but that should not prevent you from pursuing your dreams. There are many opportunities online, both paid and free, that allow us to upgrade our skillsets. Also, there is nothing restricting you from being your own boss and working for yourself as a freelancer or an entrepreneur. Mix your faith with action (work) and you can still achieve your dreams, no matter your age. This newsletter and space is meant to help and empower creatives but this information is applicable to everyone. I’ve attached a few links below that lead to a few online resources that can assist you with your personal passions and pursuits.
Until next time!
Crown Creative
Resources:
Online Courses (General)
https://www.coursera.org
https://www.skillshare.com
Coding Courses
http://www.codecademy.com
https://teamtreehouse.com
Creative Courses
http://domestika.org
https://www.skillshare.com
Creative Connection 💡
Connecting Synapses, Creating Ideas
The Creative Connection is a monthly newsletter made by Creatives for Creatives. The intention is to create a community of like-minded persons who can share, discover and ultimately be inspired, in order to fuel their artistic pursuits.
We intend on sharing tutorials, practical tips, advice and anything else that can potentially assist you on your creative journey.
We hope that you find our content useful and that you enjoy your time with us.
Until next time!
Crown Creative