The Creative Spark

The Creative Spark

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8

Because the creative spark within you is a reflection of God’s creative Spirit, when you exercise it by using your gifts, you will experience an irrepressible joy. This is the same kind of joy Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner, spoke of in the movie Chariots of Fire when he said, “God made me fast; and when I run, I feel his pleasure.” When you are using the gifts God gave you, you find yourself operating at maximum effectiveness with a minimum of weariness because you are doing what you were made for. It is the same Spirit that inspired the gift of leadership, the ability to motivate people; artistic talent, the ability to write poetry or fiction; the ability to make money; creativity in any field; organizational and administrative talents; people skills; gifts of mercy, teaching, and encouragement; musical talent, and all the others I could name.

How can you discover and develop these gifts and experience this kind of joy? The first thing to do is to take your ordinary, daily life and place it before God as an offering. Make it your aim to live in intimacy with Christ and to follow him in the unique plan he has for your life. Let him change you from the inside by the power of his Word and his Spirit. The better you know Christ, the more you’ll be at home with how he made you and the more you’ll be able find your true self. Christ will bring out the best in you, and you’ll discover your unique gifts—even gifts you didn’t know you had. As Christ lives through you, it will bring you great joy and God great pleasure. —CHERI

Father, I’m thankful that the creative spark within me is a reflection of your eternal, creative Spirit. Thank you for being an extraordinary God who takes ordinary people, like me, and makes something beautiful and purposeful out of their lives.

Thank God for the way he made you. You are special, distinct and unique. You were not made from a common mold. —ERWIN W. LUTZER, PASTOR AND AUTHOR