Giving God Praise

The Rule: After Jesus, God is a much nicer guy.

As I was writing yesterday I felt a tug in my heart that I wasn't giving God any credit for my creativity or the wonderful electrifying creative energy he put inside me. So in my car on the way to my friend's house, I prayed for forgiveness. I rolled up at my friend's house 30 minuets early. I pull out my bible from my backpack and read where I last left off in Acts chapter 12. As I neared the end of the chapter, I suddenly came across this passage, "²³Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." Because Herod failed to give God praise he was struck down my God's messenger, and he was eaten by worms and eventually died. This is a gruesome death, even after the fact God made everything right with Jesus.

Of course, Herod was killing a lot of Christians, but don't you think God loved Herod a lot? I am sure he did, but love alone doesn't stop a brutal death from God.

I believe God loves me, not for what I have done, but I don't think he will stand idle and bless me as I continue to write without giving him glory and praise. I do this because he deserves it, and also because I respect him.

A Christian artist walks a fine line of glorifying himself and glorifying God. That is a tension that all great artists must face now and then.