Exploring “made in the image of God” and “be fruitful and multiply,” it is our innate drive toward creativity that makes us uniquely human and is as much a part of, if not the purpose of, our spiritual journey.

“Let’s Start at the Very Beginning.”

In the beginning, God created human beings and made us in His image and then told us to “be fruitful and multiply.” As I have been contemplating creativity and our innate and uniquely human drive to create, these words from Genesis have been running through my mind.

What does it mean to be created in God’s image and what does God mean in commanding us to be fruitful and multiply (beyond the obvious)?

“A Very Good Place to Start”

In our self-centered nature, we have mistakenly agreed that being made in God’s image means that we look like Him and that He looks like us. We have spent much more time creating God in our image than letting God reveal Himself to us in all the infinite ways in which He wants to be known (including through us!).

I have come to understand that being made in the image of God has nothing to do with looks. Instead, it has everything to do with the invisible, intangible, omnipresent ways in which God creates, re-creates, imagines, dreams and seeks to be known in, around and through us. Beyond anything else, it seems as if God is not just the Creator, as some modern theologians have re-dubbed Him, but is the very act of creating itself.

As Mary Daly once put it, “God is a verb.” If God’s purpose is fulfilled by creating and we are made in God’s image, then perhaps creating has something to do with our own spiritual search for meaning, connection and fulfillment.

“When You Read You Begin with A, B, C.”

No, we are not the only species on this planet driven to create. Bees create hives; ants create anthills; birds create nests, etc. Like other species, one aspect of our creative drive is toward that which supports our survival—building homes, fashioning clothing, hunting and gathering, preparing meals, etc.

Unlike most other species, however, our drive toward creating goes beyond mere survival. Taking our survival needs and pushing beyond these limits to create homes of beauty, clothing that is flattering and appealing, gardens that inspire and nurture and meals that are not just sufficient, but pleasing to the palate, we create simply to create. We paint, write, sculpt, compose, dance, act and entertain. Acts of creation that move beyond mere utilitarian survival are what make us uniquely human.

“When you sing you begin with Do, Re, Mi.”

Created in God’s image, we are made to create, but more importantly, I believe the drive to create is actually God seeking to be known in the world, through us. He creates and continues to create and we are one of the vessels through which He wants His creation to be known. If God wants to be known in the world through my writing, parenting, loving, mentoring and teaching, who am I to say, “no”?

Furthermore, who are you to say, “no” to God’s creative spirit, seeking to be known through you? God is the inspiration and the muse and we are the artists.

“Doe, a Deer, a Female Deer.”

Since we are all plagued with the longing for meaning, purpose and connection in our lives and we all seek to find fulfillment, the good news is that the key to finding this is in being creative. When we create, we are fulfilled. Why?—because God is fulfilled through our act of creating.

Until we connect with, nurture, cultivate and share our unique creativity in the world, we will feel restless, bored, lonely, impatient, frustrated, alone and unfulfilled because we are not doing what God made us to do—to be creative and to do so with enthusiasm and vigor. He told us, at the beginning, that our one task on this earth is to be fruitful and multiply. This is not just about babies. It is about being prolific creators, as God made us to be. My invitation to you, today, is to be fruitful and multiply. Name, claim, cultivate and nurture your creative gifts.

Then by all means, share them with others as God made you to do!

 

Lauri Ann Lumby is a midwife to your soul. “Soul is the unique way you are creatively gifted to find meaning, purpose and connection. Soul, when engaged, leaves you feeling fulfilled, content and whole.” Lauri’s mission is to help you birth your soul. You can contact her by email to find out more about one-on-one mentoring, classes, workshops and retreats.

 

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Assistant Ed: Stephanie Richard/Ed: Bryonie Wise

{Photo: via Elizabeth on Pinterest}