"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"
Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
I wrote this down on my phone almost immediately after these words escaped the mouth of my five-year-old daughter:
“Hands are good when we use them to build things, and hug people, and flip pages of a book.”
We were having a conversation about tools and whether they were good or bad. I was explaining to her that a tool itself isn’t necessarily good or bad; what matters is how we use it. I was giving her examples of things we use every day when she thought of one of the most obvious tools she had: her own hands.
And she was right. Our hands can build something, hold someone we love, turn the pages of a book, or create something beautiful. But those same hands can also be used to hurt, tear down, or destroy. The hands themselves aren’t the problem, but what we choose to do with them.
I was deeply moved by our conversation because as creatives, we are surrounded by tools. We have cameras, computers, instruments, notebooks, drawing tablets, editing software, social media platforms, and countless other things that help us bring ideas to life. It’s easy to become fascinated by the tools themselves and forget to ask what we’re actually using them for.
The tool is never the destination.
Your camera isn’t the art. Your guitar isn’t the song. Your iPad isn’t the illustration. Your editing software isn’t the story. They’re simply things placed in your hands that allow you to make something that wasn’t there before.
And this is where stewardship comes in.
God cares about what we do with what He has given us. Not because every creative work needs to be explicitly Christian or every tool needs to be used for ministry, but because our creativity is part of the life He has entrusted to us. The question isn’t simply, “What can this tool do?” It’s also, “What am I choosing to do with it?”
You can use your creativity to build your platform, or to build someone else’s confidence. You can use your words to chase attention, or to give someone hope. You can use your skills to prove yourself, or to serve people. The same tool can produce very different things depending on what the heart behind it is pursuing.
Maybe that’s why my daughter’s words struck a chord in me.
Our hands are capable of so much, but what they produce ultimately depends on what we choose to do with them. The same is true of the creative gifts and tools God has placed in our hands. They can become instruments of self-promotion, comparison, and distraction, or they can become instruments of beauty, service, encouragement, and worship.
So take a look at what’s in your hands right now. Your tools. Your time. Your talent. Your platform. Your creativity. They’re gifts, and gifts come with an invitation to steward them well.
“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for people.”
That’s the heart of it. We don’t need the best and latest tools, the biggest platform, or the most impressive talent. We simply need to faithfully use what God has already placed in our hands, remembering who we’re ultimately creating for.
So maybe the question is not, “What can I make with what I have?” Maybe it’s, “Lord, what do You want me to build with what You’ve placed in my hands?”
And whatever the answer is, let’s do it wholeheartedly for the Lord.
🙏 PRAYER:
Father, thank You for every gift, skill, tool, and opportunity You've placed in my hands. Help me remember that these things are entrusted to me, not simply for my own success, but for Your purposes. Give me wisdom to use my creativity in ways that build, encourage, serve, and reflect Your heart. Show me what You want me to build with what I have today. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Think about something you're creating right now. Ask yourself: “Who is this ultimately serving?” If the honest answer is mostly yourself, don't beat yourself up… just bring it to God. Ask Him how you can use that same work to build, encourage, or serve someone else.
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