Do you have a passion, a job, or an ability that you are only using for yourself? Today’s guest on the iDisciple Podcast, Michael Belk, has a powerful story of how God used his talents as a photographer to teach people about Jesus’ love for us.
For more than 30 years, Michael’s photographs appeared in fashion publications like Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Vanity Fair for clients that included Nautica, J. Crew, and several other major fashion brands. In addition to his job behind the camera, he serves as the creative director and account executive for his own successful fashion-advertising agency.
In 2008, Michael sensed that God was calling him to do something more with the talent he had been given. He and his wife, Cheryl, began to invest their savings, abilities, and creativity into a photography project that would show the modern-day relevance of the centuries-old message of Jesus. This resulted into the beautiful and thought-provoking Journeys with the Messiah. The images have been interpreted into fine art, a coffee table book, a DVD, and more.
In this conversation, we’ll learn more about the interesting journey that Michael has been on throughout his career in the fashion industry and hear about how God can use our talents and passions to bring himself glory. We hope and pray that this conversation blesses you in times of uncertainty and teaches you how to live a spirit-filled life just like our Lord and Savior!
Key Takeaways
- Michael explains to us a little bit about his career as a photographer and running an advertising agency and explains how he was able to gain so much success in the industry.
- How burnout started to creep in as he began to realize how unfair it was that he was living a successful life while others didn’t even have enough to eat.
- The reason he thinks God used the earlier days of his career to train him up as a writer, photographer, director, and producer so that when the time came to create Journeys with the Messiah, he was ready.
- Michael gives us the backstory behind the project and tells us stories behind the production and why they made the decisions they made.
- Explanations for some of the images they created and how those images are connected to various parables throughout the scriptures.
- Why it is so important for us to find a God-given purpose within our work and talents instead of only using them for personal gain.
- And many more!