John Stanko

I am revising one of my devotional books to include two sections with entries focusing on creativity, so for the next two months, you will receive those entries as I create them. I hope you enjoy them, and pray they will enhance and change the way you think about your creativity.

******

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals" (Genesis 2:19-20).

Adam's first work assignment after his mandate to rule the earth (see Genesis 1:28) was to name the animals as God brought them to him. Adam did not wait for God to whisper in his ear what to name them; that was Adam's job. In other words, God directed Adam's creativity, but Adam had to express his creativity in obedience to God's will. This indicates that Adam was created to be creative in the image of the Creator and, since you are his child, you are creative as well. Therefore, your creativity is not to be a hobby or side show in your life, but to be on center stage. What are your creative expressions? Where are you most creative--the computer, the kitchen, the garage, the studio, the classroom? What can you do to express your creativity more regularly?

Lord, I accept that I am creative as part of who You made me to be. I have not always taken that creativity seriously, but today I vow to see this as part of my divine makeup, accept it as part of Your plan for my life, and to do what I have to do to make it all You intended it to be.