Our State of Mind

There are so many things that affect me during this global pandemic as a teacher, a Christian, and an artist. What it all boils down to is my mind. Our minds are very powerful. They can change the way we feel, the way we act, and the way we experience the world around us! Thinking negatively starts to create unnecessary borders in our brains that hem us into a limited new reality. These borders keep us from seeing the truth that lies on the other side.

God’s word can help us to break down that barrier and start seeing things as they truly are if we are willing to apply it to our lives. I learned this through an online Master’s Art class that was designed to guide Christian artists in their art-making. It was a huge eye-opener to see how many artists are out there feeling inadequate, just like me, and afraid to share their work. One of the biggest mental blocks is fear. Fear keeps us from taking chances, learning from our mistakes, and growing.

Applying God’s Word to Our Lives

To help overcome fear, I learned that praying and searching for answers in God’s word and applying them to our lives, can equip us to solve difficult problems. Whenever we have a thought that we are not sure of, or whenever we feel afraid, we can turn to God’s word and see what He has to say about the situation. For example, I was feeling like my art wasn’t good enough. After seeing and comparing my artwork to so many others through this online art challenge, I was starting to feel inadequate. But I was able to look at God’s word and was reminded that we are God’s special possessions. He made us with a purpose and a plan in mind.

There were more than a dozen Scriptures that I could go to for this assurance. To summarize them, I wrote down this “conclusion”:

“God has purchased me, His special possession, to be His child, blessed with His gift to create like Him, in order to fulfill His pre-thought plan for me in my life, through my weaknesses, which makes me strong and able to do all things through His love.”

That’s a mouthful, but now, anytime that I am feeling like I am not good enough, I look back at this conclusion. Those feelings of inadequacy fade away. I am taking Roman’s 12:2 at its word, that we are “to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” By renewing my mind through Scripture, I tear down the limitations that keep me from doing my very best.

Applying Scripture to Life in a Pandemic

Scripture has also shown me how to help people during this pandemic. I learned from Hebrews 13:3 to “remember those who are in prison as if you were there yourself.” So I joined the Crossroads ministry to help mentor prisoners learning about God and to write to them with words of encouragement. I also read in Hebrews 13:1-2 to “keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” This verse encouraged me to find ways to entertain people online through writing poetry and replying to silly posts.

Then I thought, “How can I show love to people?” I started commenting with encouraging and uplifting words to anyone who needed it and sending out birthday and graduation cards. My aunt, a nurse, told me of her hospital’s need for masks, so I started making masks. A nurse at a nursing home informed me that the elderly are feeling lonely because they cannot receive any visitors. I started sending videos of me playing the piano, or reading poetry, or whatever else I could think of that would help.

Art is very powerful, especially in times of need. To harness the power of art and the conviction of our faith, we must transform our mindset to align with God—positive, practical, and constantly renewed.

Author: Tricia Griffin

Tricia Griffin is a K-6 art teacher at the Estancia Schools with a BA in Elementary Education. She graduated from her family's Liberty Ranch Christian School in 2007 and gained some valuable teaching experience. She creates art in a variety of mediums, but mostly focuses on painting and vinyl record sculpting.