As I approached middle school, my mom presented me with a sign for my room that said, “Creativity is messy, and I am very creative.”
The thoughtful gift was an homage to “creativity” which often expressed itself through recycled plastic, paper scraps, and pilfered household items I upcycled to create jewelry, room décor, or objects for my dollhouse – a process that generated quite the mess.
My three younger siblings had their creative stints as well: using gum to attach paper plates to the wall as target practice, decorating their faces with pink spray paint, and building forts with thumbtacks and nice linen. (Our house wasn’t completely anarchical; these endeavors primarily occurred during the summer months when four children under the age of 10 easily manipulated the others’ crises to forward their creative curiosities.)
After we cleaned up our messes and received any due reprimand, I’m thankful for the ways my parents encouraged our creativity and nurtured us as we explored our gifts. They provided more productive outlets for us to exercise our hearts, spirits, and bodies, pointing us to the God who created us with individual talents and gifts.
Suddenly, creativity became an outlet for service. With the right direction, messes transformed into ways for us to partner with our church and explore our future callings. Not only were we guided on the journey of discovering the gifts God instilled within us, but we were also instructed on how to use them properly.
In Romans 12:4-6a, Paul instructs the church,
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith…
Lead your children in conversations about spiritual gifts, Who created them, and what their purpose is. Introduce them to members or staff of your church who may share similar gifts, allowing them an up-close view of seeing spiritual gifts in action. Within your home, provide a safe space for your children to serve and explore who God created them to be. While the Bible provides many examples of spiritual gifts, here are just a few of them and ways for you to help your child practically put their faith into action.
Encouragement
If your child is an encourager, help them use their gift by creating and sending uplifting cards to those in need of a little cheer. Whether Christmas cards for local nursing home residents, get-well-soon cards for those suffering illness, or thank-you notes for military personnel, children will be able to express their creativity and optimism while sending smiles to those who need it most.
Teaching
If your child has a passion for reading, writing, and leading others, help them create a devotional for your family to read together. Allow them to pick a craft or special meal that helps demonstrate the lesson. During Advent season, help them make a daily countdown with short lessons celebrating our Savior’s birth. Providing them a platform within the safety of your home allows them to grow their voice, realize its value, and become more deeply passionate about loving the Word of God and helping others know it well.
Service
If your child’s gift is service, serve alongside them. Plan family excursions to serve at local food banks, clothing donation centers, or elderly church members’ front yards. Help stressed family members or friends by providing extra childcare, and supervising your young teens as they learn to serve with children. Demonstrating servant leadership to your children by serving alongside them not only sets a positive example, it also nourishes their giftings and teaches them that service is a joyous and even fun, task.
Hospitality
If your child has a gift for welcoming others by providing a peaceful and genuine presence, teach them to steward their gifts by hosting meals in your home. Help your child use their creativity to invent a fun tablescape. Let them take “orders” and bring plates and glasses to the kitchen to be filled. Have them come up with a fun activity for everyone to participate in. You can also help your child practice hospitality by allowing them to help you serve on the greeting team at your church. This allows them to grow relationships with multiple members of your church and practice making eye contact and facilitating conversations.
Faith
If your child has the gift of faith, allow them to lead your family in prayer at holiday gatherings, meals, or before bed. Whether your family passes an ambulance or hears news of a friend in need, teach your child there is power in prayer, and faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
As your child grows, consider the ways their “messy creativity” could actually be spiritual gifts waiting to be trained. Provide them with proper venues to use their gifts for service. Teach them the way they should go, that they may not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Above all, remind them they are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He has prepared in advance for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).
