StephenElliot.com

“To whom much is given, much is required.”

As Christians we are called to a higher standard. We have been given so much, but it’s so easy to lose sight of that and get wrapped up in our own trivial circumstances. When I start looking around and comparing myself to others it’s only a matter of time before I find myself exhausted, restless, and frustrated.

I’ll even rationalize my frustration with God. “If I’m supposed to live a life worthy of the calling I’ve received,” I tell Him, ” then why does it feel like it’s killing me?” There is a moment of silence, and God responds:

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” -Jeremiah 12:5

I’m becoming increasingly disturbed by the traditional sense of “missionaries,” “evangelists,” and our attempts at “reaching out to those in need.” It seems to me that whenever someone talks about “faith in action” and “the interplay of faith and life,” they are really saying we need to be feeding and serving the poor. Cue the mental commercial of African kids starving… Now, we simply cannot ignore God’s command to serve the poor, the fatherless, and the widow; but we are doing ourselves a disservice if we think it ends there.

I believe that “faith in action” has just as much to do with art as it does with serving the poor.

Every child of God is called to a life of missions; the Gospel of Christ compels us. Yet, we cannot overlook the unique gifts, talents, and strengths God has given us.  “Not everyone is called to go to Africa…”  Every church I’ve ever been to has said the same thing, and then in the very next breath they talk about ways to serve in the local church.  The point I’m trying to make is that unless we are steadfast and resolute in pursuing the mission that God Himself has placed inside of us, there will always be well-intended people who are eager to pull you into their mission.

We can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, but in the end we’re only hurting ourselves.

What is your mission field?  Find it.  Chase it.  Live it.

It’s interesting the way we perceive “natural” talent. A good number of people have said that I’m talented, but I think it would be more accurate to say that I’m disciplined. Ya see, I spent two years in isolation (more or less) reading, studying, observing, and learning all I could about visual arts. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy. It certainly wasn’t natural. There were days that were utterly frustrating, and for the most part it looked like anything other than talent. But now, on the other side of that, people see me as one of those guys who was just “born with it.”

It’s important that we don’t overlook the role of discipline when it comes to talent. It’s all too easy to shrug off talent as something that was inherited at conception, but this undermines the value of our hard work or God-given gifts.

The bridge to Talent is called Discipline. Those who dare to cross it have earned my respect.

As I was reading my Bible* the other night I came across something so simple, yet so profound. When God was delivering the Israelites from Egypt it says, “God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, ‘If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt’.” Above all else, two words stood out to me: God thought.

For some reason, I’ve never thought of God as a “thinking” being. Sure, I know Him as a “knowing” God –omniscient even– but the idea of Him really thinking in the present tense is a concept I haven’t considered before. How does someone who is infinite in knowledge and time have logical, rational thought patterns? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I closed my Bible thinking, “That’s a God I can relate to.”

*The Message translation.

Even God was ready to give up on His creation:

God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. … God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.”

Does that defy His character? I’ve never heard a sermon abut the spirituality of frustration, nor do I have the answer. Every artist has experienced it –the urge to rip up the canvas, throw away the film, smash the sculpture. Even God wrestled with it. It’s somehow encouraging and yet simultaneously discouraging to think of that. I feel frustrated often, but I certainly don’t feel closer to God during those times.

I picture God as an artist stepping back from His canvas. A sigh of frustration muffles through the air, and He shakes His head slowly. “It was supposed to be so much better than this…”

In the account of creation God didn’t create something until He first prepared a place for it.  He created the ocean before He made fish to dwell in it.  He scattered the land with fruit-bearing plants before creating the animals who would eat it.  He established the rhythm of day and night before telling man to rest.

I think there is an important truth here that is often overlooked.  God doesn’t bring us into something until He has prepared us for it, and until He has prepared the place for us.  That was true of God’s character at the beginning of time and it’s still true today.

One of the most disappointing books I’ve read is about “Christ and Creativity.” Part of my disappointment comes from the fact that this is a topic of tremendous significance to me, so anything less than earth-shaking is prone to be a let down for me. However, the author takes far too much liberty in stretching various stories in the Bible to explain them as an act of creativity. I think the fundamental flaw with this approach is that we are looking in the wrong place entirely.

Search the Bible (NIV and King James at least) and you will not find a single appearance of the word “creativity.” Not once. That should tell us something about our Creator. He never intended for us to merely read about creativity, He wants us to experience it.

“The invisible things of God are clearly seen through His creation.” -Romans 1:20.

Look through a microscope, study how the human eye works, light a fire, observe the motion of animals –everywhere you look, creation is shouting in every language that God is the author of creativity. He wrote the book on it by not writing a single word about it.

I wonder how many other areas God is saying to us, “You won’t find the answers here. Stop trying to figure everything out. Just go! Live! Experience! There you will find Me…”

Man!  I’ve been so blessed by comments, emails, and conversations the last couple days.  Since announcing this new site the feedback has been so encouraging and affirming.  I’m so honored to have friends and family who aren’t afraid to speak into my life.

Last Sunday, my pastor talked about the power of the tongue, and he challenged us to speak an encouraging word to one another this week.  I’m not quite sure why God has allowed me to be the recipient of so much of that, but I am ever so grateful.  My heart is full, and now it’s my turn to pay it forward.  =)

Thank you, my dear friends.  It truly means a lot.

Is it just me, or are we never “ready” for anything significant? I’m reminded of the verse in Ecclesiastes (11:4) “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” We can waste our lives away waiting for the perfect moment, but that will never come.

Working on SE.com has been a constant reminder of that. At its core, this site was designed to serve as a creative outlet for me. For that reason I’m eager to tell my friends about it, but I find myself thinking, “Well, as soon as I finish this or that, then I’ll be ready…” All too often I’m guilty of believing that lie. If the devil can hold us to inaction, there is no telling how many God-given dreams he can abort.

Two verses later it says, “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed. … so [too] you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Perhaps our saying, “I’m not ready” merely shows a lack of faith in the God who says, “It’s go time!”

With that, I welcome you to StephenElliot.com

In the process of setting up SE.com I’ve kept a running list of all the things left to do before “launching” it. Much to my delight, things have been coming together nicely and I’m starting to get a feeling of accomplishment. It’s easy to get so caught up in the day to day that we lose sight of what we’ve done. It’s important (and yet so undervalued) to take time to reflect on these things.

As I was browsing my list, the last two categories left to flesh out were Filmmaking and Teaching. At this point, I really don’t have much to put in either category, yet those are the two things I most want to do. In a way, it seems fitting that the two thing I want the most are just barely out of reach. Sometimes it feels like God keeps things there as a way of reminding us that He’s the one in control, not us.

In moments like this I’m reminded that life is a process. My accomplishments are not the end goal. It’s not about an impressive portfolio or a shelf full of trophies. It’s about living each day as it comes and letting God have His way with me. If only it were just as easy to walk that out as it is to write about it…

Last night at 9:10 I became an uncle. In a mere two hours of labor my sister-in-law, Nina, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl weighing only 6 pounds, twelve ounces. My entire family was huddled in the room near the doorway, and I found myself torn between taking pictures, being courteous, and just enjoying the moment; after all, it only happens once, and it happens fast…

As I was getting in the car I had a thought that’s been with me ever since, “It won’t be long before little Naomi is asking for the keys to a car. It won’t be long before she drives off into the sunset. Before she goes away to college and gets married herself.” It feels so far away, yet it’s so real I feel as though I’ve seen it already. I’ve never been so overwhelmed at thought of life. …just life. What a precious, fragile gift it is. The images from last night are so clear in my head. It’s all so real, yet it’s already in the past. Nine months of thinking, dreaming, and praying for that moment, and just like that it’s already a memory. It came and went so fast. I wonder, “Did I enjoy it the way I should have? Was I sincere enough? Did I realize the significance of it? Did I do everything right?…” There are no second chances. It’s now or never. What an awesome responsibility.

As we watch Naomi grow up, my mind will always go back to last night. (I’m at a loss for words….) Does it really happen so fast?

As human beings we love it when people praise us for the work we do. There is a healthy level of pride that comes from finding a sense of satisfaction in our work. It makes my day to hear that somebody is pleased or takes delight in something I’ve made.

…and so I wonder.

Is God any different? Is He not filled with delight when we praise Him for the work He has done? How many times have we taken for granted the beautiful fall colors, or a magnificent sunset, or the intricate detail of a snowflake? There is not a doubt in my mind that God the creator –God the artist– is filled with joy when we express our appreciation of His work.

Among many reasons, I look forward to heaven as a place where we can experience life in community as it was meant to be. I long to hang out with my friends in a place void of prejudice, grudges, ulterior motives, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, slander, and finger pointing. I’m not sure what reconciliation will look like in heaven, but I would much rather arrive there on good terms with those dear to me.

Does that mean there will be no differences between us? Of course not, but we will finally learn to celebrate our differences and view them as our Father does. I’m not entirely convinced that instantly everything will be okay between us. I think there will be a moment where we will have to let go of those past hurts (although I’m sure we’ll view that decision from God’s perspective and see that it is hardly a decision at all). Will we ever realize that we’re going to spend eternity with our brothers and sisters? Maybe we should start getting along now.

I don’t want to be comfortable. It seems that as soon as we get comfortable is the time we should move on. Comfort blinds and numbs us to our surroundings, robbing us of opportunities to experience life in ways that are outside our routine.

Perhaps one aspect of hell is that there is never anything new.

How many people question their need to wake up in the morning when they know it will look no different than any other day? I’m not suggesting that change is the destination in life, but rather it is the scenic route that makes life fun, adventurous, surprising, challenging, rewarding… Isn’t life all about worshipping God in all seasons of life? Change, and the subsequent lack of comfort it brings, allows us to experience God in ways we otherwise couldn’t. Maybe discomfort isn’t such a bad thing after all…

Why are we so quick to gossip and share juicy details that can seriously harm a person, yet we never want to hear how a movie ends? Is it that we have no problem spoiling the things that really matter? Are our priorities so misaligned, or do we simply prefer to convince ourselves otherwise?

I’m not such a fan of popularity without substance. Why are we so quick to huddle around the newest and coolest coat of paint, only to discover that underneath the surface is the same old fluff we just got bored with?

Crap not only stinks, it cheapens everything else.

When we tout something (or someone, for that matter) as the latest and great whatever without first examining what it’s made of we undermine the value of those things that truly are excellent.

For what it’s worth, I don’t use my blog as a means to get a point across to certain people. That reminds me all too much of the ways of middle school, and I would like to think I’ve grown past that.

My blog is simply a way for me to share my thoughts in the hope that it will cause people to stop and think. It seems there is rarely enough of that going on…