We were made to create

 "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him," Genesis 1:27.

We were made in God's image. God created us, thus we were made like God to create, to build, to grow. I realized I am happiest when creating. Gardening. Cooking. Music. Writing. Sewing. These forms of creating fill my days with joy. 

I compare our recent past when our culture created beautiful things to what is created now and find it wanting. Music is a constant overbearing beat of vulgarity or passionless pop. Art is juvenile or created to offend. Buildings look like colorless squares. Even churches, formerly built in praise to God as towering cathedrals, now look like barns. I see the destruction of beautiful creations and think about a quote attributed to J. R.R. Tolkien, "Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin what good forces invented or made." It seems evil is lose in the world and bent on destruction. 

The best way to fight this evil is be what God intended us to be, creators. Let's fill the world with beauty so we can look back at what we create, music, art, architecture, literature and say it is good. As it says in Genesis 1:31 "God saw all that he had made and it was very good." Let's fill the world with good and overcome this destruction of  beauty and humanity. 

Un-cancelled

 I recently heard a devotional comparing the betrayal of Peter and Judas. The theme was about how they both reacted after the betrayal. Peter surrendered himself to God and accepted his mercy. Judas fell into despair believing he was beyond grace.  Judas died in sin. Peter repented and went on to build the church. I realized I don't need to wallow in self-hatred to be forgiven. I can move on once I accept my failure and repent. I am forgiven. Immediately. As Jesus said to the adulteress, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." John 8:11. The devil lost hold as soon as I repented and accepted God's mercy. No sitting in sackcloth needed. Go and sin no more. This is freedom. True freedom. I can't be cancelled by anyone but God. I am forgiven. I know I will stumble and sin again, but that ever flowing grace has got me covered. Not that I want to sin. Once you understand grace and the gift of mercy Jesus gave us on the cross, you want to please him and not sin, but being human, you will sin again. Jesus knew this and still suffered and died for us. How can we not accept this gift? God is good!