What inspires you? What causes your heart to race? What causes you to pause and be amazed at the wonder of the world we live in? What moves you to action or to change something? For you it may be the vast expanse of landscape, or the crashing of waves, or the rich colors or a vibrant sunset. Or maybe it’s observing the selfless act of a stranger, or a friend who does something above and beyond for you. Maybe it is the amazing images captured from space or planets, stars, and nebulas. For me, I’m always inspired when I see rays of sunlight beaming through clouds as if the glory of God is falling on the earth.

What does it actually mean to be inspired? If we start with the dictionary, we discover that to inspire is:

-       to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially something creative.

-       to create a feeling, especially a positive one, in a person.

I’m sure that we can all think of movies or books where inspiration played a huge part. A character in that story comes along and inspires others to do something significant, or to rise up against injustice, or to live beyond themselves in a way they never thought possible. And at the end when the character finally realizes what he had done, the music builds and the people cheer.

Inspiration is an important thing in our lives. We are all inspired by something. The question is, what are we inspired by? Is what we are inspired by actually what we should be inspired by? Landscapes, sunsets, and nebulas are all inspiring, but are we more often inspired by these created things or by the One who created them?

David, the great king of Israel and writer of many Psalms, recognized the true source of inspiration. In Psalm 65:8, he said, “Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.” Throughout the Psalms we read of the wonder people had toward God. We’re encouraged to declare the great things God is doing and to worship Him, to testify of His greatness in our gatherings. Job was humbled and in awe when God spoke to him at the end of his story. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the upper room, they were emboldened to go out and declare the amazing things of God. When the risen Christ appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, he was inspired to turn from his life of persecuting Christians and became a great teacher named Paul.

When we gather, whether on a Sunday morning or as part of a small group or bible study, are these times inspiring to us? Are we looking for the evidence of God at work in people’s lives and celebrating what He is doing and who He is? It can be hard to do this, especially when we’ve had a rough week or our relationship with God is not in a strong place or we don’t place a high value on these times in fellowship. Do we leave with a greater understanding of God and increasing righteousness of character?

As much as a beautiful sunset or a rolling range of mountains can inspire us, our times with the people of God should do so even more. May we not just be inspired by the wonderful things around us, but by the One who has created all and is transforming us. May our times together inspire us to live everyday in His grace and mercy for His glory. May we not take these opportunities for granted, for whenever we gather as the people of God, the Lord’s presence is in us and with us. He beckons us to come and celebrate His goodness.

I’d love to hear some feedback from you. What is the most inspiring movie you’ve seen or book you’ve read? How does being with the people of God inspire and encourage you? What is the most inspiration aspect of God’s creation to you?