@tenshichispa Hello Tenshi! I think that’s a great question, and one every writer/artist should probably ask themselves at some point or the other. I think the most important thing to remember is who it brings glory to–ourselves or God? I believe God wants us to be creative and make things–He gave us that ability. But He also wants us to give the glory back to Him. Remember that while God absolutely condemned the making of idols, He was the One who actually gave the instructions for making the cherubim on top of the ark of the covenant, which obviously took great skill and craftmanship. Same with the building of the ark and the temple. He Himself is a great designer and artist, filling the world with great beauty that both inspires us and causes us to realize that we cannot even begin to measure up to the genius and creativity of an omniscient Creator.
So I think that writing/making things/artwork and creativity, in and of itself, is definitely not evil. But what we do with it, what our motives are, can be either good or evil. Remember that we’re supposed to do everything to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:17). I think some great questions to ask oneself would be, what message am I trying to convey through my writing? Does it display a truth that points back in some way to God? That doesn’t mean all stories should be cheesy, preachy, and squeaky clean either. Sometimes writers need to show the dark side of humanity, the fallen nature, as well as the grace and goodness of God in contrast to that. Some of the most powerful narratives in the Bible contain things that readers may at first cringe at –but it’s truth. The whole, sometimes gritty, yet revealing truth. And that truth is that, yes, human nature is fallen and at times depraved, but it is for that very reason why we need a Savior to redeem us. And that should be the whole goal of a Christian writer–to point, in some way, to the common thread that weaves throughout the Bible–how God had a plan to save sinful humanity, so that we could have communion with Him again, just like He had originally purposed for us.
With that in mind, to echo what Brian Stansell said, the ability to write is a great gift given to us by God. I don’t think we should be intimidated by it and “bury the talent,” but recognize that it is our responsibility as Christian writers to use it as an opportunity to reach people. And both Brian and Noah gave some great practical advice as well. As long as your heart is focused on pleasing God and following His will, everything you do will be permeated by that desire. Whether it is writing or something else, seek His kingdom first. Then pick up the tools He entrusted to you, and put them to use.
I hope this helped and encouraged you in some way! May God continue to guide you in your writing journey!
(P.S. So to boil all this down to a few sentences… Idolatry is basically worship of self. It does not seek to glorify God or be under His authority, but self. But the worship of God is a lifestyle of submitting everything to Him–actions, words, thoughts–everything. And through that surrender we can then give glory to God.)
