Creative Genius

Yesterday I clipped some branches from my hydrangea bush and brought them inside to enjoy. This morning I noticed an elaborate spider web had appeared between two of the blossoms. I found the spinner: a tiny black spider, about the size of a sesame seed. I didn't have the heart to kill it, so I gently lifted the branch from the vase and put it outside.

Normally I'm not a big fan of spiders. Or any other kind of bug, for that matter. But you have to admire a creature who can spin something as spectacular as a spider web. If I could have captured its beauty on camera I would have, but a photo wouldn't do it justice. It was perfectly symmetrical, an incredible geometric design of lines and angles that, I would venture to guess, couldn't be more evenly spaced if you used a ruler and compass to create it.

The most amazing thing about the web is that the spider was only doing what God created it to do. It's just another example of our God's creative genius. Truly, my admiration is not of the spider, but of the awesome God who created it. Yes, the web serves a purpose for the spider, allowing it to capture its food. But it is also a thing of great beauty, especially when the light shines on it and illuminates the silky strands. And it all comes naturally to the spider, because that's the way God made it. It doesn't expect praise or recognition for its web; it just goes about its task with diligence.

It makes me wonder, how much effort do we expend on things that don't matter, when if we would just do what God created us to do, it would be such a thing of beauty!

There are so many self-help books out there, so many people telling us, "Do this and you'll be happy," or "Follow my five-step plan and you're sure to achieve success." We don't need to strive after all of that!

God has uniquely gifted each one of us. If something comes naturally to you, chances are it is a gift from God. And our giftedness is as individual as our fingerprints. Imagine how breathtaking this world could be if we would each diligently do that one thing God has created us to do - letting Him get the glory and not seeking praise for ourselves. Then, when we let His light shine on our efforts, He will illuminate them in such a way that people will say, "What an awesome God!"

Colossians 3:23 & 24 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."