Artistic gifts for God’s glory. Exodus 31:1-11.
My journey in arts.
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
Becoming a follower of Jesus brought radical change to my life; every area was transformed beyond what I could have imagined.
Throughout my transformation, I had to embrace a new creative stance. Honestly, I had never realised before that my creative life was a space that needed such profound change as well.
At the beginning of my discipleship, I assumed that praying over every piece I created was the right way to serve God as a visual artist. And yes, prayer is important, but God revealed a reality far more profound than my own assumptions.
When God Stopped Me in Artisan Project
Being disconnected from my creative process forced me to rethink what I was doing and why.
I questioned myself:
Why did God interrupt the project I thought was perfect and that I loved working on so much?
I wondered if following Jesus meant surrendering my desire for graphic design, painting, and crafting, along with the countless hours of studying, practicing, and experience I had built over the years. I truly didn’t know what to think, and I was genuinely confused. My heart and mind felt weighed down by uncertainty, and I needed clarity. So I began my search for the truth.
The Bible covers every truth of life. It is the connection to our spiritual journey. The Bible is written for every soul and remarkably, the Bible also reveals how God moves within an artist’s life.
In Exodus 31:1-11 NKJV,
the sacred project God had planned was to build the tabernacle for the Israelites to maintain their relationship with Him. To execute this project, God commands Moses to gather artists to design artistic works and bring them to life in various materials and techniques. The text shows that God gives a clear list of assignments and chooses certain artists (Bezalel and Aholiab) to carry them out.
The order was not a small matter but a big project. God required far more than we might imagine from a first reading of this Scripture. To accomplish all that God commanded them to do, there had to be a team of many artistic people with a wide range of creative professions. In today’s terms, it would involve architects, interior designers, designers, sculptors, craftsmen in metal, carpenters, costume designers, seamstresses, and possibly perfumers, and others.
Someone had to manage (Bezalel), someone had to supervise (supposedly Aholiab), and builders had to be involved as well. In essence, Scripture shows us that the artistry and its structural planning are so essential here that the project could not be completed without them. (And it’s good news for me, as someone who had doubted the calling to art. 😁)
From my study, these are the most important insights to note for further reflection:
Creatives are not self-appointed — God says: “I have called by name” (v. 2) and “And I, indeed I, have appointed” (v. 6).
Artists were chosen according to genealogical lineage: “of the tribe of Judah” (v.2) and “of the tribe of Dan” (v. 6).
It is described that artistry done in God’s service is inspired and filled with His Spirit: “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God” (v. 3).
The Scripture makes it clear that the Lord Himself is the source of artistic gifts, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of skills and abilities: “I have filled him” (v. 3) and “I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans” (v. 6).
Scripture affirms that God supplies all that is necessary for artists to obey His commands (not for their personal gain): “that they may make all” (v. 6).
The tabernacle was ordered to be made according to God’s vision: “According to all that I have commanded you they shall do” (v. 11).
This passage opened my eyes to the sacred trust God places in us through the gifts He gives. I now understand that these gifts, skills and blessings are meant to expand His Kingdom!
God chose artists to build the tabernacle, directing their talents toward His plans, and the gifts He gave them existed primarily to serve His people! Now I see that every gift we possess comes from God with a purpose: to glorify Him and to serve others. What a powerful truth!
Another thing that truly impressed me was that God considered even the genealogical records of the artists He chose, demonstrating that nothing was overlooked and all was considered long time before (this echoes the message of Jeremiah 1:5). We see from this that God is already at work in someone’s life, preparing them for His purposes, even before they know their calling! Simply put, God has predestined each artist: achieving artistic precision takes time — not hours, not days, not even months, but years, and sometimes even a lifetime for certain skills.
God’s perspective is far greater than ours in every way!
Exodus 31:1-11 shows us that God is in control of everything: Moses, the artists, the tabernacle project, and every detail down to the design and materials. Everything is planned according to His divine will.
Wow!
Truly,
this investigation was exactly what I needed, helping me understand that God is fully involved in creative’s life and direction! I don’t know what I was thinking before, but this helped me realise that serving the LORD as an artist is truly a calling from above!
I’ve come to realise that all forms of pure beauty, artistry, design, architecture, fashion, and other creative expressions originate from God! I am now convinced that art serves a heavenly purpose when it is guided and shaped according to God’s standards. He is indeed the door through which everything comes and without Him we can do nothing! (John 10:9; John 15:5)
Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Lord, for making this truth clear to me.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10
The Lessons I’ve Learned
Studying Exodus 31:1-11 revealed to me profound insights about the artistic path:
An artistic calling is not earned or chosen by us; it is ordained by God.
All God-given gifts come with the responsibility of using it wisely for the glory of the LORD.
A calling in the arts must be revealed by God, and only He can reveal it to you personally.
Our creative path always depends on Jesus Christ and a purpose led by Him.
A true, purposeful calling keeps us centred on what really matters: Jesus!
Answering your calling means embracing service to others as your purpose.
As artists in Christ, may we not serve beauty itself, but serve Jesus through beauty.
Having examined everything in relation to my own artistic life, I understood: my creative pause wasn’t a rejection of my talents or professional background. It was about making my work reflect Jesus!
That pause in my creative work meant repurposing my creative plans, walking away from my past, and fully embracing God’s ways. Even though I created with love and prayer, my work was missing God’s true purpose, and I needed His divine assignment!
While creating something I had “dreamed” about, I didn’t realise how corrupted my creative mind had been against Him. I used the gifts He had given me for my own worldly passions and purposes. I was blinded by the old mindsets I carried before I met Jesus. I had no heavenly perspective on the purpose of God-given gifts at all!
With a humble heart, I had to embrace God’s correction and accept that my life and work are meant for His service. I had to understand that my gifts, and all that I possess, are from God, given not to exalt myself (which is idolatry), but to lovingly serve a meaningful purpose in alignment with Jesus! He taught me that it is His will, not mine, that matters most! That’s when I asked the Lord to make my purpose clear and assign me to serve Him.
Dear artists and everyone,
I want to encourage us to step into the real journey with Jesus and allow Him to fully transform our lives. Let His light shine through our lives, awakening creativity filled with purpose. At the heart of our calling is one mission: to proclaim the Gospel and help lead souls to salvation.
We must steward our gifts wisely and minister them to one another (1 Peter 4:10), using all that has been given to us according to God’s will.
It is time to take bold steps to preach the power and purpose of our Lord in everything we do! Art too, must be shaped and transformed to reflect Godly standards and purposes! Art can be a powerful teacher and a vessel for God’s purpose and a good fruit!
Fruits for Mind, Soul, Spirit: Do Good, Live in Peace! Colouring Prints OVOW Kids, by Gita Moz | 2026
Thank you!
All Scripture quoted is from the NKJV.
Each artwork in my posts is inspired by God’s creation and made with love and honour for His gifts, giving all glory to Jesus.
With love,
Gita Moz | One Voice, One Witness
Written in February 2026