Trust God and Create Beauty

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong…Trust in the Lord and do good” (Psalm 37:1,3 NIV).

Psalm 37 is set during a time when evil clearly has the upper hand, yet the psalmist repeatedly encourages his readers not to fret. Contrary to what I believed, fretting isn’t worrying. It implies being agitated or burning with anger. GULP! Fretting might be my go-to when I spend time reading the news, scrolling social media, or thinking about the evil permeating our culture.

But God doesn’t just tell us to stop fretting. He gives us a better option, “Trust in the Lord and do good.” When we study the original meaning of the words, “do good” we realize do means ‘to create, make, or accomplish’. Good is defined as, ‘something beautiful, pleasant, or excellent’. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say, “Trust in the Lord and create beauty.”

You and I were made to create beauty! And what a sweet alternative it is to burning with anger. Today, I encourage you to think about how God wired you to create beauty. Is it with a paintbrush, flowers, food, or music? Is it through encouraging words or caring for others? Is it by organizing an area of your home, bringing order and calm where there was previously chaos? There are endless ways to create beauty.

It’s hard to watch evil prosper in the world. But we aren’t powerless observers. We can demonstrate our trust in the Lord by creating beauty. In doing so, we are reflecting the image of God to the hurting and broken world around us.

What is your favorite way to create beauty?