“Light Bearer” by Meghan Williams, Dyed4you Art

The more we walk with God and immerse ourselves in His love, the more our nature is transformed “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Our thoughts, emotions, and internal drives conform to the nature of God, which is the image of Christ. The image of Christ is the perfected blueprint of humankind which was in the mind of God before the world was created. The more that the image of Christ is restored within us, the more light of God’s love can saturate every area of our lives.

One area where God has saturated my being is creativity. As an artist and writer, He always speaks eternal truths to me through the creative process. I’ve discovered the joy of creating in the flow of the Holy Spirit, learning to open my being and invite God into my work. As a result, I’ve come to recognize the origin of true inspiration—the mind of God. Like Moses, Bezalel, and the artisans who built the tabernacle, I’ve learned the importance of being a vessel or instrument of the Spirit. When we can receive the blueprints of heaven, we become like a gateway through which divine ideas can come to earth.

Yet the honor of being a creative vessel doesn’t belong to artists alone; I believe it is the calling of all humankind. Colossians 3 calls all children of God to set their sights on the realities of heaven. Sometimes a heavenly reality is as close as our mirror. When we look at our reflection, do we choose to see through the lens of the labels and stories the world has spoken over us? Or do we look to heaven above and adopt God’s blueprint for our identity? And how do we see our neighbors? Do we choose to view them through their fleshly actions? Or do we treat them according to their identity in Christ as revealed by the Spirit? 

There is a heavenly reality for more than just our inner being. God has blueprints for our careers, hobbies, and goals. He has a vision for our nation and our world. From art to businesses to inventions—the list goes on—it was an idea in God’s mind long before the foundation of the world. 

We may live in a fallen world, but those in Christ have died to the flesh and have been raised with Him to newness of life. God has called us out of a life of darkness and sin and into the marvelous light of His perfect love (1 Peter 2:9). Walking in the light of His love shifts our focus from the earthly. It allows us to manifest the plans and purposes of God as long as we are open to receiving, meditating, and acting on them. 

And as we consistently operate in a heavenly perspective, the world around us will transform. As Isaiah 60:3 says, “Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light, will find purpose and direction by your light. In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations” (VOICE). Those who walk in darkness will be drawn to us; they’ll “see the light” and catch a glimpse of God’s vision of them and our world. As a result, they, too, will crave to dwell in the light of heavenly realities. 

Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT) Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.