As I continue my online Master Art classes with Matt Tomey, I’m learning that many problems stem from lies and fears that we convince ourselves are true. “I am not good enough.” “I am not as talented as other people.” “God can’t use me because I have too much sin in my life.” These ideas come from the one being that does not want to see us succeed—the devil. He feeds on our insecurities, so Paul counseled us to “keep our thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We have to carefully compare our thoughts to God’s word. Once we know the truth, we can take each lie, one-by-one, and exchange it for God’s truth.

Discovering lies we have taken as truth is not a task we can do once and consider it complete. False messages by dark powers continuously bombard us, and we must be constantly vigilant against these insidious lies. Our thoughts plant seeds in our hearts, where we cultivate our “truth.” Our art is a reflection of what is inside our hearts. We limit our creativity if what we harvest is lies. We must reprogram our brains—literally, create new grooves and neural pathways—so it becomes second nature to think the way God wants us to. To understand that we are worthy of God’s calling and meant to be successful. To do this, we have to be “changed by the renewing of our mind” (Romans 12:2). We have to change our mistaken beliefs and our outdated “truths” and upgrade to the full version of God’s software.

Change is Uncomfortable

Changing a mind is not an easy task. Change—period—is not comfortable. It takes time, perseverance, and hard work. It is like repainting a room with dark walls to a brighter, more fun color. If you just start painting with the new color, the darkness will bleed right through. You have to prime the walls to eliminate the darkness first; sometimes it takes multiple coats. In the same way, preparing our minds for change is not something that can be done overnight. Our brain has to completely rewire itself to start thinking differently.

One plan to create a new way of thinking is to:

1. Start by surrounding yourself with people who are supportive of what you are trying to do. I plan to paint symbols of the important and inspirational people in my life. For example, I will paint a lamb to symbolize Jesus and my nieces and nephew (little lambs, innocent, and children of God). These little silhouettes will surround me in the love and inspiration I need, especially while we cannot visit face-to-face.
2. Create a safe space to be creative. For myself, as an artist and as a Christian, I have concluded that to renew my mind, I first need to renew my workspace. Our environments help set the tone—that is why most bedrooms don’t feature bright colors. My art room has green and blue walls left over from a teenage boy’s bedroom. I have wanted to repaint it for years! I’ve already started covering up those nasty old colors with an excellent white primer. I am setting myself up for success and can already feel the change. 
3. Develop a daily ritual where you and God spend some quality time together, in prayer as well as studying and reflecting on His word. My routine includes getting up at the same time every morning, reading and contemplating God’s word, and reflecting in my journal, especially on what I have learned in Scripture and how God can use me.
4. Commit to your daily time with God and your creative time by scheduling it into your calendar. Make time for yourself to do these things. Hold yourself accountable. Ask for help when you need it. Don’t delay your progress because you begin to believe the lies again or find you are feeling alone. Growing and learning is a process—it’s okay to need help.

These are some of the first steps towards becoming all that God already knows us to be. We don’t have to worry about letting Him down because He already knows the struggles we haven’t even gotten to yet. And he has pre-planned precisely what we need to grow and serve Him well. So bask in the comfort of knowing you are worthy of this artistic calling from God. Begin to unravel the lies that satan has seeded in your mind. You will be a better, happier person, artist, and Christian for it!  

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.