See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of craftsmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood in order to make every manner of artistic work (Ex. 35:30b-33).
I think it’s incredible that God would fill someone with His Spirit for the sake of creativity, skill and design. I love seeing the different worship communities around the world that have assigned creativity, skill and design a high value. We are attempting to do just that from the Midwest. We are being intentional about stewarding creativity through songwriting and music, especially. We are assigning a value to it that is almost counter-cultural. We are saying, “God has filled you with His Spirit in order to partner with you in creativity, skill and design. We are saying, “You have permission to write, to craft and to create something with Him that changes the world.”
When we create with Him, we are not just writing words or playing music, we are releasing Spirit. When we release Spirit, the world around us is required to change and transform.
“It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:33).
With this in mind, what if we could foster creative communities that were filled with the Spirit of God for the sake of creativity, skill and design? What if we could begin to see creatives filled with the presence that in their creation could solve problems on the earth, or that could lead to paradigm breakthroughs for humanity? I think that kinda ups the game. That says, “I don’t have to write a hit song that the radio loves in order to be successful.” That says, “I don’t have to sell hundreds of thousands of records in order to impact the earth.” And it says to me, “Success is when I learn to partner with His presence really well.
We know we are starting to partner well with Him when what we do starts releasing Spirit. What happens when you create? What happens when you sing? What happens when you play? If you are releasing Spirit, it will be evident. It will be powerful and other people will tell you. If you’re not sure what happens as a result of your creativity, get with Him in the secret place and hash it out. Find out what you were born for. Find out who you were truly meant to be. You may discover that you’ve been chasing an earthly treasure that has no real value. But you also will surely discover that you are a son or daughter of God, and that intimacy with Him is the greatest gift, a gift that releases Spirit and power in the earth.
Find out more about how we are partnering with His presence in creativity at IdentityMusic.co
Clint Kahler is the director of Nextgen Worship, the voice of a movement whose purpose is to empower generations to carry heaven and shift culture. He believes that heaven on earth should be a continual experience and that everyone should benefit from this normal Christian lifestyle. The impossible is his target, and the presence is his passion. Clint is also a mix engineer and producer who co-leads worship with his wife, Hayley.
