I was listening to one of my newest art teachers talk about how to deal with making
prints of your original artwork and she said something that caught my attention. She was talking about how the original artwork is always more valuable than the print because it is unique, one of a kind, and art collectors want to have artwork that no one else will have. She was telling us that even if we make a print of our original, we can add some paint details and sign it after it is printed to add a little touch of more originality (making a limited edition).
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this - just as art is more valuable in it's
original form, so are we, as humans, more effective in our relationships and in our
lives if we seek to live as the unique person God made us to be. If we are constantly trying to blend in with the group, go along with the culture, or blindly obey the human leadership (without holding up their laws/policies to Scripture), we will not be joyful and we certainly won't inspire others very well.
Every time I've found myself trying to "go along to get along," living in the fear of
man, which is a snare according to Proverbs, I end up feeling miserable. When I have been courageous to say the thing God gives me to say, even when it is terribly
unpopular, I feel the deep down satisfaction that I've been true to God's truth and I've been true to the person God made me to be.
For some of us who have struggled with co-dependence or who have grown up trying to please everyone in our family, it can be really uncomfortable to live out our unique life. We may actually become an adult and realize that we really don't know ourselves very well. Do we prefer bright colors or neutral colors? Do we process out loud or internally? Do we want to be married to someone who is adventurous or calm? We might have looked to other people's opinions before choosing the brightly colored couch pillow over the neutral one (for example).
There are so many ways to grow in your understanding of who God made you to be, but the best way is to go to the Scriptures and begin to deeply study verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book to get to know Your Creator. It is knowing God, the Ultimate Artist who made you, that will allow you to know yourself as He created you.
As you grow in the wisdom of who God is, the beautiful Story you are living in, and
the purposes for your life here on earth - your joy will grow and you will find other
people being drawn to you and asking you, "what is it about you that makes you
different?"
What a wonderful opportunity, then, to point them to their Maker, to Jesus, to discover their true identity as a unique and beloved child of God. Here's to Being An Original "Work of Art" in Christ Jesus,
Sherry Joy Collier, Artist, Therapist, and Expressive Arts Therapist