Restoring the Gift

"1) Brothers,if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3) For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4) But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor." Galatians 6:1-4

Thank God for the fellowship of believers. Most importantly thank God for mentor-ship. My post on last Tuesday was a pseudo-copy of a letter I sent to a mentor of mine concerning my gift of writing and spoken word and how I've been skeptical to venture into that area since things in my life have changed. The answers that I got from this man of God (follow him!) were nothing short of amazing. It was not only a clear message from the Lord, but also so relevant to what I was going through that it snapped me completely out of my funk. When the bible says that God gives wisdom to anyone who asks, well, it ain't lying! Anyway allow me to share this revelation.

The above bible verse contains instruction on how we should treat a brother who has fallen or strayed from the path into sin. It says that we should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. The way my mentor put it was akin to taking a broken leg and putting it into a cast to be healed. When we separate from the father then we obviously become broken, or disconnected. In order to get back to where we were, that broken area has to be healed and set back into a place of stability. When that restoration begins there is also a period of rehabilitation in which you must learn to use those limbs again. Or learn how to walk again. It is common for a person to be tentative and favor that leg more than normal because of the lack of trust due to the leg having failed them before by breaking. Likewise it is the same with us as Christians, particularly those who are artistic or creative.

Previously I had been using my gift in a way that was not reflective of Christ and the life I should have been living. It was reflective however of who and what I'd really become. A man of sinful nature, and lifestyle. Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" this proved to be true for it reflected in my poetry, and my onstage performance. Now that God has restored me, and set me in a place of stability, I must RELEARN how to use the gift that He gave me for His glory! Before I'd open myself up to inspiration of all kinds, tapping into a well of different emotions, issues, and vices to produce what I thought was compelling artistry. And it was, although the areas it came from were my downfall. NOW it is up to me to learn how to tap into the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and all things Kingdom, and by meditating and becoming familiar with them, it will then become easier to translate the things of God into a creative format.

Still with me? Another analogy then. Whenever a professional athlete is injured, they go through an extensive rehab to ensure that they are ready to play again. Although the doctors, coaches, and physicians all clear the player to play, it is in that players mind where the real battle to overcome the effects of the injury take place. Initially he will be distrusting of the newly healed area, unable to be as explosive or effective, constantly favoring that area over trusting his healed nature. It renders him almost ineffective. It doesn't mean that he isn't healed, only that mentally he is not able to overcome the obstacle of trust to get back to the high level he once competed at. It is the same with our gifts when we have abused them for so long. When broken and healed again, often we fret over our ability to do what has always come naturally to us before, but now must be done under new circumstances. I have to overcome the mentality that I had lost my creativity for the sake of Christ. It's absurd really, but it's real. It is simply a matter of relearning to use the gift he gave me for HIS glory instead of my own personal gain.