The Thriving Christian Artist

Why Your Art Makes God Smile Every Time

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

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Get Your 31 Biblical Affirmations for Christian Artists: https://thrive.matttommeymentoring.com/31-biblical-affirmations 

What if your studio time is the place God loves to meet you most? We explore a life-giving shift for creatives of faith: your art brings God joy not because it’s perfect, but because it reflects His image, welcomes His presence, and flows from desires He planted in you.

We start with identity. You’re made in the image of a Creator who imagines and forms—so when you create, you mirror His heart. A tender story about a father and son in the studio reframes God’s posture toward your work: delight over measurement, presence over performance. That lens begins to heal the pressure many of us carry from teachers, leaders, or inner critics, and it restores the simple joy of showing up to make.

From there we dig into process. God cares more about being with you than the product you produce. Scriptures like James 1:17 and Zephaniah’s song over us replace the voice of a taskmaster with a Father who rejoices. The studio becomes a sacred meeting place, not a factory. We talk about creative flow as grace in motion—joining what God is already doing so your work feels lighter, freer, and more aligned with how you’re designed.

Finally, we tackle desire and trust. Psalm 37:4 and the promise of a new heart in Christ invite you to believe that your creative passions aren’t random or suspect. Double-mindedness breeds paralysis, but trusting Spirit-shaped desires brings clarity and courage. You’ll hear practical encouragement to drop striving, step into your practice with faith, and watch joy return as you create from overflow.

If this speaks to you, share it with an artist who needs freedom today, subscribe for more encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: where do you most sense God’s pleasure when you create?

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SPEAKER_00:

Hey, did you realize that when you create, you're not just expressing yourself, you're actually bringing God a whole lot of joy because you're doing the thing that He created you to do as an artist. And listen, once you really embrace this truth, I mean, really deep down on the inside, it starts to give you more joy and creative freedom and artistic confidence, really more than you ever thought possible. And so in today's video, I want to take a little time and show you three reasons why your creative expression puts a smile on God's face every time you create. And listen, just so you know where I'm coming from, this isn't some sort of hyped up feel-good sort of theology. This is what it actually looks like when your life as an artist lines up with the way God designed you. So if that sounds good, let's jump in. So reason number one is this your art makes God smile because God imagines and forms and creates and he invites us into that same process to reflect his image to the world as artists. You know, I can remember years ago when my son Cameron was little, he's 22 now, but he loved being with me in the studio. Whatever I was making, whatever I was doing, he wanted to make, he wanted to do, he wanted to do it in the same way. He wanted to wear the same apron that I would do and touch the paints and materials. And listen, he's still that way uh today at 22. But, you know, the other day I got a text from him and it was something that he was making uh in his apartment. And he said, Well, Dad, I guess I am your son, you know. And man, I love that. It was like, oh, that's my boy. And listen, my joy back then and even now isn't whether he was doing it right or wrong. I wasn't measuring or evaluating his technique or the outcome. My love was always because I love being with him and I love seeing him engaged and participating in the creative process. And, you know, that moment when I remember that, it always brings me back to Genesis 1.27, where it says God created mankind in his image. And in the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them. See, God imagines and forms and brings something out of nothing. And when he made you and I in his image, he invited us into that same creative work to reveal and reflect who he is in the world. Now, listen, I I get it. Some of us didn't grow up with parents and teachers and and maybe leaders that celebrated creativity. Instead, we may feel pressure to measure up or to get it right or to perform when we show up in our creative space. But listen, that is not 100%. That is not how your heavenly father is. God is smiling on you when you create, when you show up in the studio. Not because you're doing it perfectly, but because you're being his child, because you're doing the thing he created you to do. And so I want you to get this first and foremost down deep in your heart. You are never more like your father than when you're creating with him. And if you've ever felt pressure around the creativity and doing your art, or if that story hits close to home, I want you to stick with me to the end because I want to pray for you and also want you to leave me a comment because I love encouraging people in the comments on all these videos and also lifting up a prayer for you wherever you are in the world. Right now, reason number two that your art makes God smile is because he cares more about being with you in the process than the product that you produce. You know, years ago when I first started uh making my baskets, making art, I really wrestled with this whole thing deeply because in fact, I was thinking about it the other day. If I were to rank my creativity back then, I would have certainly ranked my worship leading way above my visual art because I'd I could see a place for it more easily in the church. But when it came to my visual art, I could remember thinking things like, well, what does this have to do with with being a Christian? And how does this, you know, make an art? How does this spread the gospel? And what does this have to do with my my calling in Christ or the call that I felt to ministry? I just couldn't make sense of it. But at the same time, I also knew that I really loved like deeply making art and I love the materials and I loved being in the woods. And so I finally started realizing as I was processing this with the Lord, hey, these desires that I'm feeling for art, they didn't come from nowhere. They actually came from God. And listen, the more I started leaning into what I knew that God created me to do, which was at that time and still is, you know, pursuing my my visual art, the more I felt his presence and the more I felt his favor and the more I felt his pleasure over my life. And so I also started really understanding, again, down deep, that God cared so much more that I created than what I created. In other words, he just he just wanted me to be in the in the process of doing what he created me to do as an artist. And again, that changed everything for me. You know, I love it uh in James 1:17 that says that every good and perfect gift comes down to us from the Father of lights. And I just love that. You know, I like to say it like this that if it's good, it's God. You know, you can receive it as the Lord. And then I love that verse in Zephaniah that talks about that God is a God who rejoices over us with singing. Listen, that just flies in the face of religiosity that says you got to have it all perfect and all this. You know, that's not the voice of a taskmaster. God's voice is the voice of a father who delights in his child, who's given us good gifts. And so our creative space when we go into it every day isn't this production factory where everything's got to be perfect. It's actually designed, I believe, to be a sacred space, a meeting place where God invites everything that we're doing to be connected with him and to enjoy his presence. And listen, I I don't know about you, but that's where really powerful things start to happen. You know, so many people today are talking about creativity and the creative flow. You may have heard the concept of a flow state and being in creative flow, but I believe that that's actually what's happening when we're coming into this agreement with who God's created us to be as artists, because that's where the grace is already flowing. That's where creativity feels effortless because that's what God's created us to do. And I really believe that the creative flow that we can sense is actually something that we're to be able to participate in with God because he's already moving, he's already creating and inviting and inspiring. And so when you and I can kind of put down the striving and simply join with him and in the context of our unique design as artists, that's that's where creativity begins to move in us and through us with less resistance and joy starts returning, and you lose all track of time and you're having a blast. And listen, I don't know about you, but that's when creativity gets to be really a lot of fun. Now, the third reason that your art makes God smile every time you do it is because it's the overflow of the desires and passions that God's already placed in your heart. Now, unfortunately, this is where a lot of us artists can can get stuck, right? Artists start to second guess themselves and doubting every creative idea, like, is this God? Is this me? Should I be doing this? Should I not? And over time, that kind of back and forth really ends up creating doubt and paralysis. But scripture actually gives us permission to trust what God is doing inside of us in Christ. In fact, in Psalm 37, 4, it says, Delight yourselves in the Lord and what? He will give you the desires of your heart. Now, let me pause here for just a second because I know what some people are thinking. I can I can hear it, right? I can hear you through the camera, right? They're thinking, well, Matt, you know, I thought the Bible said that your heart is deceitful and wicked and you shouldn't trust it. And listen, that that's true, absolutely true, apart from Christ. But in Christ, everything changes. In Christ, the Bible says that what? We're a new creation. God, God's given us a new heart, and his Holy Spirit is living inside of us. So that means as you and I delight ourselves in him, he forms his desires inside of you. And those desires flow through your unique design. You know, I love it in the book of James. He he actually warns us what happens when we don't trust what God's doing inside of us and trust what his word says. It says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. See, constantly going back and forth and doubting what God is doing in you, especially creatively, leads to instability. But trusting that God is shaping your creative desires through intimacy with him actually brings clarity and confidence. So I just want to encourage you today, quit doubting yourself and start trusting that God in you is bigger than any mistake or or misstep than you could ever make. See, if you love Jesus, and and obviously you do, otherwise you wouldn't still be watching this video with me. If you love Jesus, you can trust that the desires that he's forming in your heart are from him. See, your creativity isn't random, it's an overflow. And when you step out in faith and start creating from that place of overflow, you'll be amazed at how God moves in you and through you. So listen, when you start putting all this together, it really does start to change everything. Your heart makes God smile because you reflect his image. You you meet with him in the process and your creativity flows from the desires that he's placed in your heart from the very beginning. And listen, I know for some of you, because I this is my story, I know that today's you know lesson really probably starts to touch some places of fear and pressure and criticism that ended up shutting down your creativity. And that's why I want to pray for you because I really do believe that you're watching this video right now as a divine appointment. I believe that Jesus loves you too much to let you keep going down this road of doubt and fear and second guessing that you may have been on. He loved you too much because he wants you to have your heart healed and delivered and set free from all the things that have so easily entangled you and that have held you back from everything that he's got for you. So, Father, we thank you that that you delight in us right now. Lord, I thank you that we don't have to earn your pleasure, that we already have it, Lord, as your sons and daughters. And Lord, I pray for everyone that's watching right now, especially God, where places of doubt and fear and pressure and all these things, God, have attached themselves to their creativity. Jesus, would you heal those places and break the enemy's access to torment and self-sabotage and striving? God, I'm praying right now, Lord, that you'd restore joy and freedom and confidence. God, that your Holy Spirit would teach us to create with you, not as servants that are trying to perform, but as sons and daughters that are knowing they're deeply, deeply loved by you. We thank you for that, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. Hey, listen, friend, thanks a lot for being with me today. A couple of things real quick before you go. If if you're feeling a drawing, you know, in your heart to go deeper with your relationship with the Lord and you want to develop clarity and confidence and creative freedom in Christ, I definitely want to encourage you to check out our foundations course that God's using all of the world in the lives of so many artists. The link's right here in the video. You can click that and find out all the details. And also, when you're ready to go, I want to encourage you to watch this next video. It's called Why the Great Masters Never Worried If Their Art Was Christian Enough. It's a video I just did recently. It's the perfect next step if you're ready to let go of all that pressure that might have been on you creatively and really step into all that God's got for you. Listen, friend, thanks so much for being with me today. I love you. God's got incredible things for you as an artist in his kingdom. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss anything that I'm creating right here on the channel for artists just like you. 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.