"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1 (NKJV)
In the
beginning, God created. What a wonderful vision these two phrases invoke in my
mind’s eye! All that power swirling and flowing and forming the heavens, the
earth and all that is in them! God went one step further and placed this
powerful creativity in the heart of mankind also. Aesthetic details from
Biblical authors are evident in the description of their biographies and
autobiographies, as well as the poetic flare in the language used in several
Biblical books. Many verses also attest to the inspired genius of Bible characters (Ex
31:2-11; 1 Chronicles 29:5; 2 Chronicles 34:11; Genesis 41:33-36;
Esther 5, 7).
Jesus’
exhibits His storytelling expertise in His parables, which demonstrates the
creativity He uses in His relationship with mankind. These parables illustrate
the revelation of His character, plan, intention and care for humanity. The
Bible is full of the inspiration of mankind as he/she follows the leading of
God’s creative Spirit within them. Believers, then and now, reveal the gospel
story to unbelievers through God’s creativity flowing through us.
Magical
music, nurturing nursing, imaginative art, noteworthy news reporting, graphic
designers, public speakers, craftsmen and women, striking fashions and creative
hobbies all flow from us through the creative genius resident within our Father
God. Each stroke of brilliance in mankind is a tribute to the insight that
flows through us from the throne of God. God plants a seed in our imagination,
and the Spirit brings fruit from it. Sadly, however, people usually take the
glory for their resourcefulness, instead of giving praise to God who birthed
the seed of genius within us.
In
addition, our carnal nature often uses this innovative power for evil. We dream
up ways to better our self at the expense of others, stepping on the
downtrodden to build our own little empire. God intended for us to share in His
creative influence with others in order to create a better environment for
everyone. He also wants to nurture our spiritual power, so that we can inspire
spiritual activities in others. We do not need to wait until heaven to find a
place with no more tears, nor do we need an artist’s talent to create. God
imparted His creativity in all of us to help our world to evolve into a better
place for everyone to live.
The
Spirit helps us to imaginatively relate the old, old story of Christ’s
redemption to others as we communicate it with discernment, motivation and
passion. In fact, He will use us in ways we never imagined. From your smile
comes a responding grin, from your kindness springs more thoughtfulness, from
your hospitality generosity grows and from your liberality more charity
abounds. As we all allow God’s love to continually flow through us, we can
change our world.
Prayer:
Father God, let us act as Your playmates in the creative processes of life. Help us to allow Your Spirit to flow through us, so that we can help to bring forth Your Son in the hearts of everyone we meet. Plant in us the fruit of Your Spirit and help them to replace the carnal nature, which resides deep within our human psyche. Allow Your sanctifying process to perfect us one day at a time.
Thought for the Day:
Recognizing the hidden qualities in the ordinary aspects of life is what creativity is all about.
Thank you, Linda Dunaske, for the use of your photo.
