The Thriving Christian Artist

5 Ways to Honor God with Your Art

• Matt Tommey: Artist, Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur and Artist Mentor

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What if your studio felt like worship instead of a grind? We explore five grounded, practical ways to honor God with your creativity—starting with gratitude, moving into faithful studio rhythms, inviting the Holy Spirit into your process, growing in artistic excellence, and learning to create from rest. Rather than chasing likes, sales, or approval, we shift the focus to peace, purpose, and partnership with God.

We begin by anchoring identity in the truth that creativity is God’s idea and a good gift. From there, we talk about showing up consistently and dedicating a simple, sacred space—whether it’s a full studio or a corner table—as an act of faithfulness. We unpack what it looks like to co-create with the Holy Spirit, recognizing those moments of flow as signs of relationship, not randomness. You’ll hear why “filled and skilled” is a powerful pairing for artists, how excellence expands your creative vocabulary, and why skill actually births freedom. Scripture threads through the conversation—Genesis 1:27, James 1:17, Luke 16:10, Exodus 31, Proverbs 24:3–4, Philippians 2:13, Psalm 46:10, and Colossians 3:23—offering a biblical framework for creative practice.

Finally, we challenge the hustle mindset with the unforced rhythms of grace. Creating from rest means trusting God with outcomes, releasing comparison, and working wholeheartedly as an offering rather than a performance. Expect practical steps, honest encouragement, and a clear path to align your art life with Kingdom peace and purpose.

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SPEAKER_00:

Hey, have you ever wondered how to really start honoring God with your art? Not in some kind of striving or trying to make it Christian enough sort of way, but really in a way that you can create and live in a way that really brings God genuine delight and joy. Well, listen, if that's you, today I'm going to give you five really powerful ways to start honoring God with your creativity so that you can start walking in his peace, purpose, and partnership with the Holy Spirit today on the Thriving Christian Artist. Well, hey, my friend, I'm Matt Tommy. Welcome to the Thriving Christian Artist channel where every week I'm creating great content for artists just like you to help you gain clarity and confidence and creative freedom in Christ. Definitely want to encourage you to hit the subscribe button so you never miss any of the great content that I'm creating for you that'll help encourage you and grow in everything that God's got for you as an artist in his kingdom. So listen, let's jump into this because I know all of us, I know I do, and I know you do too, because that's why you're here. You want to, you want to honor the Lord in everything that you're doing. And so the first way that I think is the foundation for us really honoring the Lord and what we do is gratitude. It's always starting with this place of thankfulness that the Lord has created us as artists, that he's given us this gift. In fact, you got to remember, creativity is not your idea and it's not my idea. Creativity was God's idea. In fact, let me read you this. In Genesis 127, it says, So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them, male and female, he created them. And I love it in James 1.17. It also says this whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from our God and Father, who created all the lights in heaven. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. So, in other words, every idea, every uh, you know, inspiration that comes up in your heart, every moment of beauty that you're able to go, that is awesome. Every artistic skill that you have, every dream that's in your heart as an artist, all of that, it originates in God for you and wants to move through you. This is God's idea. And so I think it's just super important that every day you live from a place of gratitude because it starts being, you know, otherwise, if you're not living from a place of gratitude, it starts being about you proving yourself and you trying to make it happen and you trying to, you know, be better than this person or that person, or, you know, it's all about your skill or all about how your Instagram page is growing or all about your art sales. But when you can back up and you say, no, I'm gonna start today from a place of gratitude and saying, Jesus, thank you that you created me as an artist on purpose. Thank you that this gift to be able to see and agree with heaven, to create with you, to feel inspiration and to love beauty and to be able to do the things that I do every day as an artist. God, thank you that this was your idea and thank you that this gift that you've given me of creativity is from you and it's for you. Listen, when you do that, your art becomes an act of worship instead of sort of a burden or, you know, as opposed to this just sort of self-absorbed kind of thing that we're doing. No, when we come at it with gratitude, our art becomes worship and our art becomes a place where we can invite the Lord to inhabit what we do and who we are as people. And I just love that. It's definitely the foundation of everything that we do in honoring the Lord with our art. All right. Number two, the second way to really honor God with your art is to show up faithful in the studio with your gift. Now, you now you may say, well, duh, Matt, that's kind of a given. Listen, I've been mentoring artists a long time. I've been an artist my whole life. I know what a challenge it can be for some people who feel like, yeah, I'm an artist. I love God. I'm thankful for the gift. I want to do this, but I'm not just, I've not been making time for this in my life. Uh it's gotten pushed to the back, to the side, to the bottom of the of the barrel in my life. Listen, showing up faithful is a primary way that you honor the Lord. You know why? Jesus said in uh, and I'm gonna read this to you in Luke 16, 10, in the New Living. I love this. He said, if you're faithful with the little things, you will be faithful with the large ones. I love it in in Matthew 25, in the parable of the talents, Jesus says, Well done, good and faithful servant. What? You've been faithful with little, now I'm gonna make you ruler over much. And listen, here's what I really believe. If your creative gift that we that you were just thanking God for, right? If your creative gift was important enough for God to give it to you, it's important enough for you to make time and give energy and resource and focus to in your life. That is a primary way that you honor the Lord. And that means for us as artists, I think not only showing up in your studio space every day, but maybe you say, well, man, I don't even have a studio space. And I would say, go create a dedicated studio place. You say, well, that's my dining room table or or my back bedroom or a place in the basement or or whatever. Listen, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter where it is, it just matters that it is and that it's a place that you're showing up uh even in times that you don't feel like it. Even in times when you're like, oh, I'm not feeling the juice today. I'm not feeling inspired. Listen, show up in the studio anyway. Go in, go and sit in your studio space or wherever it is, and just start with gratitude again. And just say, well, Lord, thank you that I got this space. Lord, thank you that you've given me this gift. And Lord, I'm just inviting you into this place right now. And you, you know, every time you do that, every time you show up in your studio space, you're saying to the Lord, this is a sacred space. This is a place that I meet with you. God, I trust you and I believe that this matters. And even though I can't see the full picture of what I'm gonna create today or how this is all gonna happen in my life being an artist, I trust you that when I use what's in my hand and I offer that to you in the studio space, I trust that you're gonna multiply it. And you know what? That's how the kingdom of God works. You're gracious, you're you have gratitude in your heart. Number two, you show up in the studio and you say, God, I'm showing up and I'm being faithful to the things that you've called me to. Now, number three, once you're in that creative process, a third way to honor the Lord with your with your creativity and with your art is to invite him into your creative process. And again, you may say, wow, I've loved Jesus for a long time. I've been saved a long time, and I've been doing art for a long time. And I've just never thought about inviting the Holy Spirit into my creative process. And let me listen, if that's you, let me just say, no shame, none. You're not alone. You are absolutely not alone. I created baskets and my art a long time before I ever thought about inviting the Holy Spirit into my creative process because I kind of thought, you know, I love Jesus over here and I do my art over here. And I'm like, well, does God even have a plan for my art? But man, when I started realizing that God had a plan for my art and he wanted me to invite him into my process, wow. See, you start to realize God is not some distant observer. God's not over there and you're over here if you're a believer in Jesus. Listen, you've been redeemed and reconciled or restored to the fullness of the kingdom. You're his son, you're his daughter. And so he's not just waiting on you to finish the peace so he can bless whatever it is that you do, you know. He's right there with you. In fact, the Bible says in Philippians 2.13, I love this. It says this in the New Living. It says, for God is working in you, inside, not on the outside, not around you, in you. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. So again, it goes back to this place of gratitude of like, oh my gosh, Lord, that nudge of inspiration that you're giving me that I'm feeling right now. I trust that that's from you. Lord, you know, you ever got in the studio and you kind of lose track of time and you're just kind of like going for it and you're like, oh my gosh, three hours have have gone by. You're in that creative flow. That's not random. That's relationship with him. That's you flowing with him in this beautiful creative process that God's given us the opportunity to flow in. And so invite him into that process. In other words, raise your awareness of the presence of God. Turn on, you know, when I come into the studio, man, I turn on worship music. I'm praying in the spirit, I'm touching my materials, I'm just thanking God in this place that God, I've showed up today. I want to create with you. Lord, I want to sense what you're doing. I want to move with your spirit. So, Lord, heighten my awareness to who you are and what you're doing. See, you're not trying to impress God with your skill and with your creativity and all that. No, you're co-laboring with him as a son and as a daughter who's already fully loved, already fully accepted, already fully provided for. Listen, this again, this is God's idea. And so we honor God by creating, creating with him, not just for him and not definitely not apart from him, but inviting him in to that process. All right. Now, number four, the fourth way to honor God and your creativity is really leaning into this process of being what I called both filled and skilled. You know, in Exodus uh 31, it talks about that Bezalel was filled uh with the Spirit of God and skilled in every manner of workmanship. Now, for most of us Christian artists, you know, that love Jesus, being filled with the Spirit, inspiration, loving God's presence, all that, that may come natural to you. All right. But sometimes it takes work and it feels like work leaning into the skill development. But here's the thing I want to encourage you in Proverbs 24, 3 and 4 says this by wisdom, a house is built, and through understanding it's established, and through knowledge, its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. In other words, honoring God with your creativity and with your art means that you're growing both in the spiritual depth and spiritual relationship with the Lord, but also in your artistic excellence. In fact, here's the deal: the more that you will grow in your craft as an artist, whatever that is, whether it's painting or woodworking or metal or mixed media like I do, basket weaving, fiber art, whatever that may be, the more that you develop your craft, the more language that you are giving the Holy Spirit to speak through and to move through every skill that you develop, every hour that you spend in the studio, you're expanding your creative language, you're expanding your creative skill base. And so when you get an idea from the Lord, it's not limited by the skills that you have, but no, you're always expanding those. And guess what? I've just found as you'll expand your creative toolbox, as you'll lean into skill development as an artist, guess what? God will increase the inspiration and the type of movement that He's that He's that He's moving in you. He'll He'll speak things in a different way. And when God does speak, you'll be able to interpret it in a different way. Why? Because you've got more skills and opportunities. See, freedom births opportunity. Freedom and skill are not uh at odds with each other. In fact, skill births freedom. The more skill you have, the more freedom you have to operate. And so excellence, when we're operating in excellence, when we're leaning into being both filled and skilled and trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us in that process, it gives God something to bless. Skill gives God tools to use in and through us. And so I think it's super important for all of us, no matter where you are on your journey, stay teachable, keep learning, and keep leaning into this thing of being both filled and skilled in order to enlarge your capacity for the glory of God to move in your life and through your life as an artist. All right. Now, number five, all right. This is huge and probably just as important as gratitude. These are all important, but but number five is really important. Create from a place of rest. You know, if you've been an artist for any time or you've been alive for any time, you realize that the the spirit of this world is always about hustle and make it happen and control the outcomes and rah, rah, rah, more is better, faster is better, comparing ourselves to one another. But listen, in the kingdom, it's exactly the opposite. God invites us to be faithful in the process, to be faithful to show up, to be faithful to create our work and invite him into that process and then trust him for the impact and for the increase and for the influence and for the fruit of our life, right? That's a very different idea than what the world brings. I love you know Psalm 46, 10. It says this in the New Living be still and know that I am God. There's a there's a place in your life as you're seeking to honor the Lord with your art that you know, sometimes you just got to take a breath and be like, you know what? I got a show coming up, or I got a commission going on, or Lord, I just I'm just feeling the pressure right now to do more, be more, have more, say more, all the stuff. And Lord, in this moment, I'm just gonna take a deep breath and I'm gonna be still and know that you are God. I'm gonna, I'm gonna take on your yoke, for your yoke is easy and your burden is light. In fact, I I love that verse in the message translation in Matthew 11, 28 and 30. It says this, Jesus is saying this in the message, are you tired and worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me and get away with me, and you'll recover your life. And I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me and watch how I do it and learn. Listen, learn the unforced rhythms of grace. My friend, as you're learning to honor the Lord and to walk with him as an artist, that's what God wants our rhythm to be with him, the unforced rhythms of grace. You don't have to chase success, you don't have to manipulate the outcomes, you don't have to prove yourself to God or to anybody else. Your job and my job is to faithfully show up, rest in him, trust God for the increase, and be faithful to the things that God's called us to, faithful to the things that he's put in our hands is artists. Listen, when you do that, God is gonna be faithful. When you choose to rest, it literally makes room for his favor to flow in your life and in your art. And listen, I don't know about you, but that's what I want to see. I want to see the favor of God and the blessing of God and the the presence of God moving in my life and through my life. But it only happens when we're when we can take our hands off the outcomes. We can we can trust him, when we can trust him with the outcomes of our life and just be faithful to rest in him. Listen, I want to give you one final scripture, one of my favorites in Colossians 3.23. It says, Whatever you do, work with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters. And listen, that's really the heart of it, right? Create with all your heart, not from approval, but as an offering to the Lord, to the one who gave us this creative gift in the first place. So listen, just to wrap it up, how do we honor the Lord with our art? We thank him for our gift. We show up faithfully in the studio, we invite him in to the creative process. We grow in both being filled and skilled. And number five, we rest and trust God for the outcomes. Listen, my friend, if you do that, I promise, not only is God going to be glorified, you're going to be fulfilled and be able to walk in all the abundant life that Jesus has promised you as an artist in his kingdom. Now, listen, I've done my best today to inspire and equip and encourage you today. I want to ask you one thing. Would you, number one, make sure that you hit subscribe and that you never miss any of the content that's you on the channel? Number two, would you leave me a comment down below? I would love to know which one of these five principles means the most to you. Maybe there's one that you're really having a lot of breakthrough in, or maybe there's one that you're kind of struggling with. And maybe the, you know, the Holy Spirit highlighted that to you today and is something that you want to really work on with Him. Whatever it is, I'd be honored if you would invite me into your journey and uh maybe ask a question, leave a comment. I read every one of those myself. I love to answer your questions here on the channel and love just to continue to encourage you and equip you in everything that God's called you to. All right. I love you, my friend. Thanks again for being with me. And remember, till next time, you were created to thrive. Bye. Hey, my friend, before you go, make sure that you're signed up for the Thriving Christian Artist Weekly. It's my free newsletter full of spiritual encouragement, creative inspiration, and practical tips to help you thrive in everything that God's called you to do as an artist in his kingdom. Every issue is absolutely free, and it includes the latest podcast episode, featured artist spotlights, a worship song of the week, and again, tons of tips and encouragement and inspiration for you to keep you inspired and encouraged in everything that God's got for you as an artist in the kingdom. You can click the link right here in the show notes to join us, and it's a great way to stay connected. All right, love you. Bye.