Week 10 Living On Mission: Called to Create
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”Genesis 1:28
God’s original intent for men and women was to steward the earth as His image bearers. And as image bearers, He gave us the ability to use our lives – heart, soul, strength, and mind – to create a culture that reflects His glory and vision for His creation. The act of creating in His image is not limited to artists. The call is for every Christian to bring goodness, truth, and beauty into the world. Doing so will not only bring glory to God, it will also serve as a witness to those who desperately need to know Him and help to heal a world that is hurting without Him.
Day 64: Monday – Called to Seek Beauty
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4
- Key Thought: The soul that seeks God’s presence and His beauty is a soul that reflects His presence and beauty.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, I want to see you above all else today
Day 65: Tuesday – Called to Ponder Beauty
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”Philippians 4:8
- Key Thought: Contemplating excellence nourishes the soul and enables one to see God’s hand in all that is good.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, let me see the beauty You have created all around me and dwell in it.
Day 66: Wednesday – Called to Create Beauty
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Genesis 2:15
- Key Thought: God gave Adam resources to create and tend a garden. A garden is a unique part of creation that combines the natural resources that God has made with man’s creative ways of forming, organizing, and tending those natural resources. Likewise, God has placed us in this time and place to act as gardeners.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, thank you for the garden in which you have placed me. Now let me see what work needs to be done.
Day 67: Thursday – Called to Be A Beautiful Witness
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
- Key Thought: The world today is in desperate need of true beauty. Wars, violence, hatred have been with us since the Fall. But our culture has failed to seek goodness, truth, and beauty as transcendent values. It is our calling to reflect these God-given values so that others might see God’s holiness and love.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, how can I be a witness to your goodness, truth, and beauty? Where do I begin and how do I share it with others.
Day 68: Friday – Called to Be a New Creation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Key Thought: The old self is now dead. The new self, through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, can now fulfill God’s create mandate in new and profound ways.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, grant me understanding as to how my new life in Christ can exhibit who you are through the work that I do. No matter how hard the work might be because I live in a fallen world, I know it can be meaningful and have eternal consequences.
Day 69: Saturday – Called to Create For Eternity
“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
1 Corinthians 3: 12, 13
- Key Thought: Our calling to work on earth is not limited to what would describe as “religious” work. All that we do can be done to the glory of God. If we have an eternal perspective, the work we do to fulfill the creation mandate can last forever.
- Prayer Focus: Lord, help me to clean out the trash I’ve created in this life and get to work on that which will last forever. I want to see the reward for my obedience to your calling and glorify you in it.
Day 70: Sunday
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1
Gathering together for worship is a joyful privilege.
- Key Thought: I can be excited to go and worship the lord!
- Prayer Focus: That God would prepare my heart for worshiping him today!