Have you ever had a desire, a passion, locked up inside that you longed to share with the world but somehow couldn't seem to let yourself unleash it? Join me as I do a freewrite on this very subject.
Originally published on my blog on August 5, 2016
Locked Passion, Imprisoned Fire
One of the hardest things about being a creative person, especially a writer, is the act of creativity itself. It's like you have a living, breathing part of yourself inside that longs to become more than you are, longs to be shared on the outside, with others in the world.
If you've ever wanted to write but were too scared to face the blank page; if you've ever wanted to paint but were too afraid you couldn't choose the right colors or paint the perfect image; if you've ever wanted to play a song but were too afraid the notes wouldn't do justice to what you heard in your head, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Recently, I saw a verse of scripture, one that I've read many times, in a whole new way. I'll list it now. Read it carefully and take a moment to consider what it means to you before continuing.
Jeremiah 20:9
"Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (KJV, emphasis mine)
I've always interpreted this scripture as the proclaiming of God's words by the prophet Jeremiah to the nation of Israel, but lately, this verse has opened itself to me in an entirely new way, and I intend to dissect it here, not only to explain it further but to better explore what I'm truly thinking via the process of writing my thoughts on the subject.
A Living, Organic Book
As I asked at the beginning of this post, have you ever had a passion that seemed locked away inside but longed to be set free from its prison, and thus share its (your) message with the world? Believe me, I have. I presently have multiple passions that I continually struggle with. Not that I don't want to pursue them, but that I want to pursue them all at the same time.
The stress of not knowing which passion I should pursue at any point in time is one of the main reasons I find myself locking them all away. It's sort of like in school: when one student acts up and doesn't confess, the whole class has to pay. Imagine the possibilities if I simply allowed my passions to come out and play and, thus, explore the world outside of myself.
In the verses before Jeremiah 20:9, Jeremiah felt deceived by God—an interesting thought, seeing as how it's impossible for God to lie (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18). I can only speculate on what Jeremiah must have been feeling. When I used to read the verse above, it sounded like even though Jeremiah felt deceived, his love and passion for speaking the Word of God was stronger than the disappointment of seemingly being betrayed by the very one who called him to preach God's Word in the first place—God Himself. While I still have this same viewpoint, I now believe—as is so often the case when re-reading verses in the Bible—that it can also mean much more, depending on the circumstances in our day-to-day lives.
You see, the Word of God describes itself as quick (living) and powerful (Heb. 4:12). It's a living, organic book, constantly revealing itself to those who are willing to trust God and His direction for their lives. Case in point: my original interpretation of the above scripture still stands; however, I now see it in a new light, based on my current circumstances. I feel as if my inner desire to be creative—more specifically, the desire to write—has been "shut up" for way too long.
Before we go any further, let's take the time to break the above verse down, section by section, as I now see it in this new light.
The Bible is a living, organic book, constantly revealing itself to those who are willing to trust God's direction for their lives.
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