When did we stop trying things?
When we are young, we are not afraid of trying new things, yet as we grow older, we settle for what life hands us. When did we stop trying new things?
I was thinking this morning of the parable of the talents. If you are unfamiliar with that story, you can read it in Matthew 25. In the story, the master gives each servant a talent. Two of the servants went and traded and increased the things given to them, but on the other hand, one servant went and buried the only talent he had.
In the story, we learn that the man who buried his talent perceived his master to be hard and was afraid of him. In reading that passage, it does not appear that the master was cruel. On the contrary, when the master gave the servants talents, he gave them each according to their ability. The master took time to learn the strengths of each of his servants and what they were capable of, and he didn’t give them anything they could not handle.
Sometimes I feel stuck. I ask myself, does God want me to do this or that? How do I know which direction to go? Sometimes I miss doing something good because I’m afraid and end up burying or putting off doing good work simply by doing nothing.
God has not called us to disconnect from work and repress our natural abilities and creative desires; he calls us to be more human and expand upon what we have. We are to influence the world in our work, not the other way around, where the world impacts us.
What did the Lord teach me in that art class?
In college, I took a computer graphics class, and midway through the semester, we presented our art project in class. I was terrified leading up to that moment.
As the day came to share our art project, I remember praying, “Lord, you have to do this.” I was terrified to speak in front of others, and the only experience I had speaking in front of a class was in High School, which was disastrous. But God changed things that day. The day I shared my work, I became alive.
So what was it the Lord wanted me to learn that day? Was it to share my work and not be afraid? Was it to know I could trust the Lord and share what God had put in me?
Many times, before and after, I have buried things I desired to share, but I’m still learning God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
Why is it we become so afraid?
Why do we become so afraid? Maybe because something we shared flopped, we didn’t get much response, or we just listened to that inner critic saying, “this is a dumb idea.” Over time we start to listen to the negative, and we become lazy and stick to what is safe.
We, believers, must put on the new man to be salt and light. We share and give of ourselves. Use your talents and resources to influence the world around you.
Sharing the things God put in you will become a turning point!
“We’re all terrified of being revealed as amateurs, but in fact, today it is the amateur-the enthusiast who pursues her work in the spirit of love (in French, the word means “lover”), regardless of the potential for fame, money, or career–who often has the advantage over the professional.”
Austin Kleon
I can see that. When we were young, we made things and did things. I remember the first zine my friends and I created called Thirst (By the way, I want to do a new edition). No one knew anything about print or making zines, but we had a message, I loved doing creative work, and we just made it happen.
“This is yet another trait of amateurs- they’ll use whatever tools they can get their hands on to try to get their ideas into the world.”
Austin Kleon
When did we stop trying things? It’s time to start being creative again. So start making. Start Creating.