Perhaps you were not inspired, dear reader, by the quotation in the last post. So allow me to elaborate. Giving up is not beautiful. Complaining and whining is not attractive. No one pays money for anything done in the spirit of apathy, laziness, ignorance, or even in the pursuit of safety and comfort. Nor, I would like to point out, are people inspired by such things.
I want my life to be beautiful. I want to live an inspired life that inspires others. That may mean that I persevere under harsh circumstances. That may mean that I choose not to whine or complain about the way things are and pursue what they could be. It may mean that I need to start considering things about which I was too lazy, apathetic, or ignorant. And it may even mean that I need to abandon my desire for safety and comfort.
Unfortunately, I see a lot of ugliness in my world. I see people (including churches) and institutions that seem to lack or deny themselves the ability to create something beautiful. Now, I can criticize this ugliness, and I think many people choose to do just that, or I can create something beautiful. The choice, I think, rests on faith. Some might be tempted to call this optimism, but it's too easy to discount optimism as silly, immature, or stupid. While I don't think it is any of those things, I do believe that optimism is built upon the foundation of faith. If I believe that God can do great things in the world today, I will be optimistic. If I believe that the Spirit works today to change lives dramatically, I will be optimistic. If I believe that God's love can conquer all things and that nothing will separate me from that love, I will be optimistic. And if I can believe, then I can create something beautiful. And when I create something beautiful, then I can change the world.
What in your life will you make beautiful? Will you criticize or will you create?
2 comments:
Hey Buddy, Ang and I watched Facing the Gaints the other day. Have you seen it? You have to get past the really bad acting in the first 20 minutes but after that, it was a really really good movie and has a great message about praising God in all things, even the most mundane. Check it out, I think it speaks to creativity.
were andrew, michelle (cousins), and you kidnapped by a man named Mr. Spalding back in 1988?? because it sure does look like it
word verification: mavsrul
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