2021-03-07
Exodus 28:3 NKJV
God told Moses: ‘You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments’ (vv. 2-3 NKJV).
Note the word ‘artisans’. God gives us artistic ability, and when we use it we glorify Him. Clothes ‘for glory and for beauty’ call for creativity. Stop separating the spiritual from the secular! ‘Whatsoever [you] do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord’ (Colossians 3:17 KJV). How do you become creative?
1) By acknowledging that God made you to be creative.
2) By asking Him to reveal your areas of talent and creativity.
3) By valuing creative ideas. No matter what you currently do, or how well you do it, a creative idea will enable you to do it better.
Creativity is being able to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody else has thought, so that you can do what nobody else has done. Sometimes creative thinking lies along the lines of invention, where you break new ground. Other times it moves along the lines of innovation, which helps you to do old things in a new way. But either way, it’s seeing the world through sufficiently new eyes so that new solutions appear.
‘On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made’ (Genesis 2:2 KJV). Notice that creativity involves work, which is why many people tend to avoid it. But if you’re willing to work at being creative, God will use you to do great things.
Soul food: Joel 2:23-32; Acts 2:1-21
2021-03-06
Genesis 1:28 NKJV
Your heavenly Father created the world – and you are made in His image. That means you are wired to think creatively. God finished His creative work in six days, then our work began. God said, in essence, ‘I’ve provided you with all the resources and talents you need to have an abundant life. Now do something good with it.’
The sheep He made give wool, from which we create beautiful fabrics in differing colours for matching outfits. God didn’t make cheese; He made cows that give milk so that we can create cheese from it. The Bible describes the beginning of all things in these words: ‘Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.”‘
The word ‘multiply’ means that God wants you to end up with more than you started out with. But to do that you must begin to think creatively! Instead of simply accepting what is, you need to take what is and make something more out of it. When you do that, you’re following in your heavenly Father’s footsteps.
Sometimes churches pour cold water on any thought or activity that isn’t religious, saying it’s ‘worldly’ and therefore God is not pleased with it. That’s like saying God only works within the four walls of a church. No, ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein’ (Psalm 24:1 KJV).
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you do in life, God wants you to put your creativity to work so that you can glorify Him and bless others.
Soul food: Gen 42-43; Matt 21:12-17; Ps 106:1-23; Prov 7:1-2
2021-03-05
Philippians 2:13 NLT
You will only have good ideas if you value ideas. Otherwise you’ll drift through life living off other people’s ideas. Creative thinkers:
1) Explore every option. Exploring a multitude of possibilities helps to stimulate your imagination, and imagination is crucial to creativity. Albert Einstein said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ Why? Because it looks for new ways to put your knowledge to work.
2) Embrace ambiguity. Creative people don’t feel the need to stamp out uncertainty. They see all kinds of inconsistencies and gaps in life, and they take delight in exploring those gaps or using their imagination to fill them in. When you find an unmet need, you can either conclude that nothing can be done about it, or pray and look for a way to meet that need (see Philippians 4:19).
3) Celebrate the offbeat. Creativity explores off the beaten path. Kingman Brewster, former president of Yale University, said, ‘There’s a correlation between the creative and the screwball. So we must suffer the screwball gladly.’ To foster creativity, you must be willing to tolerate originality and oddness.
4) Are not afraid of failure. American philosopher Charles Frankel said, ‘Anxiety is the essential condition of intellectual and artistic creation.’ Creativity requires a willingness to look stupid. It means going out on a limb knowing that limbs often break. Creative people know these things and still keep searching for new ideas. They refuse to let the ideas that don’t work prevent them from coming up with ones that do.
Soul food: Gen 40-41; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
2021-03-04
Genesis 1:27 NLT
Why do we celebrate the birth of our children? Because like God, we helped to create something. The famous American football coach Vince Lombardi said, ‘The joy is in creating, not maintaining.’
It’s a mistake to believe that God is only interested in ‘spiritual things’ and not ‘secular’ things. Yes, you must grow spiritually. But you must also use the gifts He’s given you to fulfil His purpose here on the earth, and to bless others. You don’t have to be rich or have a high IQ in order to be creative. You could be a creative hairstylist, or come up with a new recipe, or create a job opportunity for prisoners by which they rebuild their lives. That’s not just secular, that’s spiritual!
You’ll notice that the cross has two posts: vertical and horizontal. The vertical post represents your relationship with God, what He wants to do for you and what He wants you to do for Him. The horizontal post represents what He’s called us to do for each other. You say, ‘But I’m not very creative.’ Once you discover your God-given gift, it will release your creativity. Paul writes, ‘Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them’ (Romans 12:6 NKJV).
Stop putting yourself down just because you are not as creative as you’d like to be. Creative thinking isn’t necessarily original thinking. In fact, people mythologise original thought. Most often, creative thinking is a composite of other people’s thoughts discovered along the way. So the word for you today is: be creative.
Soul food: Gen 37-39; Matt 20:29-34; Ps 136:1-12; Prov 6:30-31
2021-03-03
Mark 3:35 MSG
The Bible says: “[Jesus] was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you.’ Jesus responded, ‘Who do you think are my mother and brothers?’ Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, ‘Right here, right in front of you – my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother'” (vv. 31-35 TM).
One of your greatest tests of faith will be family members who don’t understand you or share your values and vision. And it calls for wisdom and grace on your part.
Despite His family’s inability to understand Him, Jesus continued to care for them and respect them. However, He refused to let them dictate to Him or alter the assignment He believed God had given Him. His priority was the people who had gathered to hear what He had to say.
Are you feeling misunderstood and rejected by your family today? Then pray this prayer: “Father, help me to live as Jesus lived; facing head-on those who misunderstand me, hearing their words and feeling the sting of their accusations, yet learning to live above them. Help me to be gracious toward the one whose life is being consumed by resentment and crippled by fear. Bring me full circle to a place of peace, so that no matter who may misunderstand me, I’m able to go on like Jesus went on – all the way to the cross, the resurrection, and the prize. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.”
Soul food: Gen 35-36; Matt 20:17-28; Ps 77; Prov 6:29
2021-03-02
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Before you were born, God anticipated your arrival and had a specific plan for you. And that plan involves dealing with problems and overcoming obstacles because that’s how character is developed. The mark of a successful person is his or her ability to see problems as opportunities instead of obstacles. And the most important lessons take place not when you celebrate the good times but persevere during the bad ones. Indeed, that’s why the bad times make the good times so good!
If you know anything about the birth of baby giraffes, you’ll know that the first parts to emerge are its front hooves and head. Then the entire calf appears, tumbles ten feet to the ground, and lands on its back. Within seconds the baby rolls over and stands, struggling to move those gangly, untried legs. Then an amazing thing happens. The mother giraffe positions herself directly over her newborn calf, looks it over, kicks it, and sends it sprawling. If it doesn’t get up – she kicks it again! And when it grows tired of the struggle, she kicks it again to stimulate its effort to stand. In fact, every time the baby manages to get to its feet, the mother kicks it again. Her actions may seem cruel to us, but she’s preparing her child for survival. Unless that little calf learns to get up quickly and run with the herd when danger comes, it won’t survive.
So what’s the lesson here? When life knocks you down – get back up (See Proverbs 24:16). During difficult times you learn some of your greatest life lessons through sheer determination and perseverance.
Soul food: Gen 32-34; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
