The heartbeat of an artist is their creativity. Inspired by an idea or thought, the artist compulsively brings their thoughts into existence with their gifted hands. Whether this is accomplished through clay, paint, or written prose or verse really makes no difference; the artist brings to life something that had no life. In essence, they create.

In a way, what we label as art, lauds God's own act of creation. God brought his thoughts to fruition by a creative act. He created the earth. Then he took a handful of that earth and breathed life into it. He took nothing and made something out of it. When he had completed his work, he looked upon his "art" and called it "very good". He was pleased with what his hands had created.

From the artist's perspective, the value of their gift is realized only when they are able to project their own persona through their art. Embodied in their creation is something distinctly their own, which sets it apart from all others. This is why previously undiscovered masterpieces are easily and indisputably credited to artists who have long since passed from this earth. Who they are is captured in their work. You may call it flare or regimen, but it is actually nothing more than a projection of their unique personality, captured on canvas or in clay.

This need to express and establish themselves through their art is best evidenced when artists use themselves as subjects. A sculptor will create their own bust, a painter a self-portrait, a writer an auto-biography. Here they immortalize themselves, or at least their "image".

In like manner, God desires to express himself through his creation, through his art. The wonder of the universe speaks to his greatness. The mechanics and yield of the world show us his provision. His reaching out through his son evidences his grace and love.

But God also expresses himself through the lives of his children. Since we are made in his image, we are a type of living self-portrait of God. His desire is for us to reflect who he is to the world so that others might see him through us, much like one would see the artist through a painting.

He wants our "image" to conform to who he is and for us to put self aside. We have a multitude of instructions in scripture that tell us to conform ourselves to his image, to bring every thought and imagination into captivity to his will, and to live our lives for him. He wants us to be like him, so that the beholder of his art will see him in it and know that there is a God.

It has been said of art that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". If this is true, what image do we Christians portray to the beholders of the world? Do our lives so reflect the personality of our artist that they see the altogether lovely one in us, or do they see something of less beauty?