Message vs. Appearance

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.—Romens 10:14-17

For the past couple weeks I have been struggling with how I approach design with regard to the church. I put a very high emphasis on the appearance, and how it might communicate the theme of a series—but not on what the actual series is about. I love the look, but overlook the message. I love the feel, but forget about the Word of God. To me it becomes all about appearance, about how other designers, pastors, and church members view my design. The message gets lost, and so do I.

This verse stops me in my tracks. Nothing I design can save a person from Hell. Nothing I create can give salvation. All I can do is point to the Word of God, and let that speak. I need to study the scripture that I am illustrating to better understand what God is saying. I need to pray before God about how to approach my creativity. I need to place what is being preached far above anything I design. The Word of God is better than any silly mailer I can ever do, and I praise God for that.

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