Isaiah 58

...is such a good chapter. That chapter God put on my heart last night and I've been reading it all day. This is what I want my life to look like. God did not call me for a life of only humility, but a life of offering all I have to others. That is my passion because that was Christ's passion. I will deny myself for the exaltation of my lowly brothers.

Today has been fulfilling so far. I cried in my last great text class. My professor is an amazing man of God. One of my friends in the class asked after his lecture, "How should we live?"

He smiled at her, and his eyes began to tear up. "My reply to that is not my own, you should know. What I'm about to say are the words of Christ to his disciples. 'Man should not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

I saw the look in his eyes and I knew he was speaking through the Spirit. And so I cried at the beauty of it all; of having a spiritual professor who spoke truth to me twice a week. God, I am so grateful for that man.

He spoke today about Christian artists; our calling, our art, our culture. Lately I've been really hating postmodernist culture in America; it's focus on self, self, self, self, self, experience of self, moments of self, reflection on self, expression of self. It's sickening how much selfishness is rampant in our generation and our culture. Especially in the arts. My professor said that denying the culture and showing Truth in it's purest form is the moral duty of Christian artists. I looked over to my friend Chloe who is an art major, and I grinned and said something like, "Isn't that just perfect? My whole life I've wanted to go against culture. Now I'm told it's my moral duty as a Christian artist to stand up against culture and show it the face of truth!" and we both got excited.

So now I'm seriously reflecting on the art I've created and how it relates to God. And I'm contemplating future projects and how they correspond to showing God's Truth to postmodernity. It's my moral duty; my beloved obligation and occupation.

As an artist, I strive not to express myself. I strive instead to stand and point with all my strength towards the One who gives me life abundantly. With all I am, I will proclaim that I am nothing and that He is all, and that all glory belongs to Him, and Him alone.

I can't think of any better way to show Truth to a culture devoted to self.