Sacred Life

I've just finished a book given to Olivia and I as homework and recommended by several of our friends: Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas. The basic question of the book is profound... "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" I would recommend this book to types of people:

1) those who are married, so they can understand the purpose of marriage in their life,

2) those who are not married but hope to be, so they can understand the purpose of marriage in general,

3) those who will never marry, so they can understand their married friends!

The whole book is really good, but I want to share some reflections on one particular thought in the text. It isn't the main point of the book, or even the chapter, but I feel it is vitally important for us as we try to live out the life of Christ in our worlds.

...our culture lives vicariously through the achievements and recognition of others. You were made by God to create. If you don't create in a thoughtful and worshipful manner -- whether preparing meals, decorating a home, achieving a vocational dream, responsibly raising children -- you will fell less than human because you are in fact acting in a sub-human mode. A life spent in a dead-end, joyless job with evenings spent in front of the television set and weekends spent "passing the time" will feel like hell on earth because it is. It's w wasted life, devoid of God's creative energy.

.

If we look back to the beginning of the Bible we will notice something about how humanity began. The Bible tells us we were designed "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). If, therefore, we were created in the image of God, we can look to the nature of God in order to understand something of ourselves. At this point in the biblical narrative we know very little about God. We know that God existed (1:1), had the ability to choose and distinguish between different things (1:3), identified things by name (1:5, 8, 10...), preferred order to chaos and knew what "good" was (1:3, 10, 12, 18...), and we know that God was creative!

.

The story we have seen to this point is a story of creation (and if we understand v.2 correctly of re-creation or restoration).

.

v.1 God creates the heavens and the earth

v.3 God creates light

v.6 God creates the heavenlies

v.9 God creates the seas and the dry land

v.11 God creates vegetation

v.14 God creates stars, the sun, and the moon

v.20 God creates creatures to live in the seas and fly through the sky

v.24 God creates wild animals, livestock, and creatures that move along the ground

.

Then God creates US.

.

God is creative, and we have been created in God's image. We are designed to be creative! Being creative helps us become more like God. Of course, we are also the ability to choose. We can choose to be creative or we can stifle our creativity. We can use our creativity selfishly and sinfully or we can use it to bless others and bring glory to God. We can choose whether our creativity becomes a good thing in us or a bad thing.

.

But, if we want to glorify God, become more like Him, and make the world a better more beautiful place, then we have a wonderful tool in being created like God to be creative. Our ability to create is part of what makes life holy or sacred. When we create (for good or for ill) we are being like God. If we create for evil, then we are being profane. But, if we create for good, we are fulfilling part of the sacred purpose of life.

.

In this way, we can become more holy through simple actions. When a carpenter builds a chair, it can bring him closer to God. When an architect designs a building, she can learn about God's truths. When a mother lovingly bakes a cake for her child's birthday, it becomes a sacred event. When a father lovingly samples his daughter's imaginary dessert, it becomes a holy moment. When a husband creates a homemade Valentine card for his bride, it honors God. When a wife writes an encouraging note to her husband, it makes her more like Jesus. Even when a couple cooks or cleans house together, there is the opportunity for life to become sacred, if they do so in love and mutual service.

.

Whatever form our creativity takes, using it thoughtfully and worshipfully makes us more fully human. And, being more fully human, more like the image of God, makes life sacred.