On God & Creativity

Derek Cummins
Aug 28, 2017 · 3 min read
photo credit: pexels.com

Lately I’ve been hearing all kinds of anecdotes about the way God works. People seem to have Him figured out — even if that means understanding that you can’t figure Him out. The what of God seems predictable, even if the how of God is a mystery. What I mean is: we know His heart and, generally, know what He wants for His children; but, the path to that end doesn’t conform to any pattern.

Back in my undergraduate days I had to write a paper for one of our required Bible classes that related our Christian spirituality to our major. Granted, my understanding of things was quite limited then, but I chose creativity & creation as the backdrop to the assignment. My major was based in music & arts.

The essence of the paper was that God is Creator and as humans — created in His divine image — we are sub-creators, endowed with a similar creativity.

One simply has to look around this planet (let alone the others we can see) to find the most wondrous example of artistic creativity that has ever existed (see Romans 1:20).

But, what exactly defines someone being creative? Are only the artists creative? What about the suit & tie business men and women that have never played a note or pickup up a paint brush?

Creativity is all about vision and approach. It is about flexibility. It’s about assessing the situation around oneself and acting in a manner that is appropriate, tailored to that moment. It’s often about taking a risk.

I’m confident that I could cherry pick any number of verses from scripture to show this; however, I would prefer that you find the time to read one of the gospels. Maybe Matthew or John. Definitely John.

Jesus is the ultimate creative. Especially when you read the stories of the healing He brought to so many. He never heals or casts out demons the same way twice. He approaches every situation as unique and with brevity, confidence, and flexibility He takes a risk in front of His peers and goes for it.

Notice I mentioned brevity. The creativity of God need not be a massive work. Earth is large, but not in comparison to everything else around it — and it is the crown jewel of our solar system. The prayers of Jesus are very short and to the point. As creative people we don’t need to paint a mural the size of a building, instead we can doodle. As writers we don’t have to author another novel the length of War and Peace, we can write a few paragraphs.

The point on prayer has been most impactful to me. Despite the admonitions of Jesus not to do it, I often ramble on in my prayer life hoping to elicit my desires from God. He doesn’t need convincing — He loves you. Get to the point and just have a conversation with Him.

Embrace your creative nature. Whether you know it (or even believe it) or not, you are created in the image of God, gifted with all sorts of creative impulses. Go for it! Don’t let dry notions of religion stifle the truth that God is an active, fun, artistic, loving Father.

From my heart to yours.


If my writing has inspired you or simply brought you enjoyment, please consider supporting me in my pursuit to become a certified spiritual director!

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Derek Cummins

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“If I leave this earth tonight may it be said that I spoke my piece, I spoke with the wrath of His grace” — The Chariot.

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