Have you ever heard the statement that goes “In this world, you either influence or be influenced”? It expresses that since the creation of the world, influence has been in existence. From the first verse in the Bible, the empty and formless world was under the influence of the Creator. When He called forth light, it influenced the darkness. Influence was present even while man was formed. He put man in the garden to influence the garden.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
The above scripture was a charge to influence the world and everything that lives in it. This was a divine mandate given to us by The Creator (The First Creative -God). Man’s problem began when we allowed ourselves to be influenced by our world - directly or indirectly (Genesis Chapter 3).
The call for the creative, the gospel artist is a call to influence their world. The one who sends them, sends them to bring about a change and a level of influence that transforms the world and shifts it back to the original blueprint no matter how little.
The ‘Sent’ Mentality
“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”John 17:18
Being a Christian creative can sometimes feel like trying to stand in two places at once.
You want your work to connect with people, but you do not want to lose yourself trying to be relevant. You want to take culture seriously, but some parts of it leave you uneasy. You want to make work that matters, yet you may not always know what faithfulness looks like in the middle of deadlines, trends, algorithms, clients, and creative pressure.
Sometimes its an honest struggle of trying to influence the world for Christ while avoiding the influence of this world which is usually a problem.
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 speaks directly into that tension.
He does not ask the Father to remove His followers from the world. He asks that they be protected from evil, set apart by truth, and sent into the world with purpose. That is important. Jesus does not call us to hide from culture. He calls us to live in it differently. “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.” John 17:15
For the gospel artist, that is both a challenge and a relief.
Let this ring in your mind: You were sent. The knowing that Christ sent you is enough to strengthen you in a world filled with negative influence. Remember, that you carry His mark and seal. You were chosen specifically by Christ for this special assignment, to influence the World’s way of life through your craft. One day you would give an account of how well you carried out the assignment because you were sent.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” St. Augustine (Confessions, Book I, Chapter 1.)
We are not meant to disappear
Culture is not just entertainment or social media. It is the collection of stories, habits, images, ideas, and values people live with every day. It is what people praise, what they fear, what they buy, what they watch, and what they hope for.
And whether we realize it or not, creatives help shape those things.
A filmmaker shapes what people imagine. A writer gives language to ideas and emotions. A designer influences what people notice and trust. A musician can make space for joy, grief, worship, or reflection. Even a small creative project can affect how someone sees the world.
Sometimes Christians respond to culture by pulling away from it completely. Other times, we become so eager to fit in that our convictions slowly disappear.
John 17 gives us another way.
We can be present without being absorbed. We can listen without agreeing with everything. We can make work for people who do not share our faith without watering down the values that shape us. We can be around them and still not be them.
That is not meant to make us anxious. It is meant to remind us that our work has weight.
“…Will this work?”
Most creatives have asked some version of this question: Will people like it? Will it reach anyone? Will it help me grow? Will it pay the bills?
Those are reasonable questions. But they cannot be the only questions.
Romans 12:2 tells us not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For a Christian artist, that can mean pausing long enough to ask what our work is asking people to love.
Is it feeding fear, envy, and distraction? Is it using people’s pain carelessly? Is it chasing attention at any cost? Or is it helping people see something true?
Faithful creative work does not have to agree with everything the world holds out to be true. Your work has to ensure it reflects the standards of the one who is The Truth -Christ. You should not be a people-pleaser but a Christ-pleaser.
Like Mary, you may ask “How will this work?”
Christ provides the answer when He “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Because of Christ, we can rearrange the culture one song, poem, speech, drawing or outfit at a time.
Johann Sebastian Bach once said “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
Sent into the world
Jesus has sent us into the world. That means your creative gift has a place here.
You do not need to copy everything around you. You also do not need to retreat and wait until you feel fully ready. Create the work in front of you. Grow in your skill. Stay rooted in Scripture. Be open to correction. Take people seriously. Let your faith shape your character, not just your captions.
The world does not need a copy of everyone else. It needs artists, writers, makers, and leaders who are willing to create with courage, humility, Godly influence and love.
That may not always look dramatic. But it is meaningful work.
Finally, Francis Schaeffer in his book ‘Art and the Bible’ said “A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God.”.
