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Perceptions: The Pathway of Creativity

By” Alan Smith

• Matt. 7:7-8: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (NIV)

How can I be creative, you might ask?  How can I be creative and not competitive in my thinking?  Every pathway of life has a “first step” which must be taken in order to head in the right direction.  How can you end up in a desired place if you are not heading in the right direction which is in relation to your destination?  Creativity is just an expression of the scenery along the pathway to the Kingdom of God; to the One who is the Creator of all things.  If you are to be a creative being with God, you must walk down a pathway that is harmonious with the very nature of God.

As you are” living” toward God, you must ask God for the things you would like to create with Him.  This is very necessary.  Jesus says this, "Ask and it will be given to you.”  Asking God is like striking a note on a piano.  It is the beginning of a harmonious sound between you and Him.  This is the beginning of spiritual dialogue with the Father, which will then allow you to find the will of God for the next note.  I believe asking God is the first note in this three-note harmony chord.  So, how can you find the next note in this three part harmony?  Let’s move further into the scriptures.

• 1 Thess. 5:18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (KJV)

This is incredible information.  From this scripture, you can see that the sound which produces the second note in the chord comes from a heart that is thankful in all things.  It is in this sound of thankfulness that the will of God can be found.  There is no other place in which you can find this.  You can also see that the sound of this second note is found within your own heart and soul.  A thankful heart produces an attitude within you that is creative in nature.  It is this mental attitude of thankfulness that draws you closer to the Creator Himself.  Being “in-touch” with the very nature of God will bring you very close to His blessings of creativeness.  You can live your life nearly perfect in every way, but not receive more blessings from God because of the lack of “thankfulness”.

Have you ever given a gift and the recipient not been “thankful” for your free gift?  How do you feel about giving another gift to this person?  Probably not very eager, don’t you think?  So it is with God and His blessings.  Many of God’s blessings are a result of your “thankfulness” and His creativity with you.  Remember, “thankfulness” is a spiritual note that is in harmony with the “notes” of heaven.  The more “thankful” your mind is, the more established you are with the very heart of God; therefore, gaining the “will of God” which is always creative.  The very nature of God is to create, so this is always part of “His will”.  The closer you live to the source of all creativity, the more creativity you will receive and experience.

Also remember, this “thankful” note has a spiritual energy that will penetrate the very realities that are all around you.  It is “power” that will change the world.  Thankfulness will keep your heart out of competitive thinking.  Thankfulness will keep your heart looking toward heaven and out of the selfish thinking which only brings hopelessness and destruction to the heart and soul.  Sometimes your realities will try and knock the thankfulness out of you.  You can’t let this happen, for it will cause a sour note to come into your life and destroy the harmony which has been gained through much focus and pain.  Don’t let your thankfulness be destroyed, for this is not the will of God.  On the contrary, let a harmonic sound of praise and thankfulness reach its destination, which is the very heart of God.

Just as a magnet draws metal so does your thankfulness draw creative ideas from the Kingdom of God.  This drawing effect must become a constant “power” which draws creative substance to appear in your realities.  Jesus knew how to capture the ear of God through being thankful.  John 11:41-42: Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”  Jesus knew that His thankfulness was the attitude which kept Him in harmony with the Kingdom for which He longed.  If you allow yourself to think upon the sour notes of life, the sour notes will begin to be heard in the spiritual music that surrounds your life.  You are either producing this music of the spirit or hearing it being played by another.  It is your choice.  You must never dwell upon the bad sounds, for they are also creative unto your future.

A thankful heart will look for goodness and greatness.  It will look for this in others and not dwell on their faults and failures.  It will be a trained mind that is looking for the best in people and things, which will bring more of the best into your life.  You then discover that it is from this heart of “thankfulness” that more “faith” is born.  Your expectations of good things are the experiences of “more faith”.  Now that you are training your mind to look for goodness and greatness, it opens your spiritual eyes to see what is not seen.  Your spiritual eyes are now opened to see the will of God for you and for the world.  It is through this “faith” that all things that “are not”, “can be”.

• Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV)

The third note in this harmonious chord will find you, for it will be coming from God. 

Alan