Create In MeНамуна

DAY 3: What does Creativity mean to you? 

Creativity is an expression of who God created you to be!

Creativity is about responding to who God is, and through that response exerting a creative influence and leadership that the world desperately needs.

Creativity is imagining new ways to say the truth that already exists. The world – all of it – rings with wonders. And it all started with the desire of creating something new. New words, new images, new illustrations, new songs, new music. All of it said the glorious truth in a brand-new way. 

How does it begin? It begins in your imagination. 

Imagination exerts itself to see in the mind what it is not there yet.

A purposed creativity is to create word combinations, music, and visual forms that have never existed before. I call it purposed creativity, because unlike the regular creativity, when it is birthed through purpose, the expression of what you create resonates at greater level.

Your creativity was and will always be an instrument of worship.

We all have creative gifts. You may be a gifted musician or a mechanic or a teacher or a preacher, no matter what you choose to do, God wants you to use your gifts in a much greater way.
But first, are you willing to use them? Are you willing to be intentional about it. Do you believe that your gift can have an impact?

 
God wants you to steward your gifts, not waste them.

All of us are gifted with something special. No one is left out. You just need to identify your gift and put it to use. A lot of us compare our gifts, we compare the process and fruit of it. But my friends, your journey is different from others. You may have the gift of kindness - the means to use your gift will give new meaning to it.

For instance, when you pack for a journey, you are not going to pack something you will not use on your trip. You don't pack fishing gear when you are going mountain climbing. The same way, God has blessed you with unique gifts which are meant only for you to use. Your purpose will give way for your gifts to be used.

Don't hide your purpose. Your church needs your creative gifts. Your family needs your creative gifts. Your friends need your creative gifts. You have gifts that no one else has. 

Creativity is a lot like love, it is not a selfish act. Our creativity is at its best when it lifts our eyes to transcendence and forces the world to look to its Creator.

“The trumpet of imagination,” as G. K. Chesterton says, “is like the trumpet of the resurrection. It calls the dead out of their graves.”

Your creativity is bigger than you. It exists for God and for others. 

We learn this attitude of not being selfish and the attribute of not limiting our self from God. God presents his glory in many ways, in every way. He doesn’t limit himself to one form of expression of who He is. The evidence of that is all around us. Doesn't that make you want to smile. It always makes me smile.
This should be the model for your creativity. Let everything you create be for the benefit of others revealing God's love.

So, ask yourselves - what does creativity mean to you, who is being magnified? Is it you? What is it the reason you want to create?

Here's a thought that liberated my creative perspective - Creation was intended for redemption. The goal is not just success, but freedom; and not just for ourselves, but for others and for the good of creation as a whole. Let our creative capacity be used pursue and redeem the world with love and acceptance. 

With every word, decision, or action, we each change the world—for better or worse. We are that change. And in a world of brokenness and injustices, more varied and insidious than at any time in history, those who would need the gospel and the grace through Christ will need all the wisdom and creativity at their disposal. My experience over the past several years is that the Lord of creation is not just calling His people to this redemptive role but has also equipped us with the necessary skills and imagination. 

Through the gift of our creativity, we might find ourselves better equipped to shape culture and bring the truth to those who have not yet heard, and present it in a way they have not yet seen.

Can your creative nature liberate, redeem and reconcile people with the truth?