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Limitless creative potential exists in the human heart filled with the Holy Ghost. His infinite indwelling lifts the lid on our little lives and makes them expansive in ways that defy natural reason.

Creative life in Christ is one that brings peace and production together, flowing freely from a foundation of faithful rest in God’s ability to work in and through His yielded people.

1. Endlessly Creative

The recklessly creative imagination of the Godhead is mind-boggling. Everything from beautiful to bizarre found its Genesis in His infinite mind. The invisible and the visible worlds are the work of His genius.

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:20–21 KJV)

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind:” (Genesis 1:24–25 KJV)

The sheer abundance and diversity of the natural world are beyond our comprehension. Science discovers new wonders every day, and still just scratch the surface of the infinite mind behind their inception.

Modern education and society often crush the juice out of kids and seek to conform their (super)naturally creative nature into a safe box that can be channeled into useful servitude to a system designed to limit individual expression.

In the coming years a deluge of divinely inspired ideas and inventions will flood the world, each one of them pointing to the great Mind who conceived the universe and placed it’s irrefutable laws in motion.

Is it not bedazzling to remember,

“… who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV)

May the people of God be open and willing to act as conduits for this creative renaissance!

May the Church become the magnificent hub for Heaven’s solutions to a broken world!

May wonder come again to and from the House of God!

2. Fruitful Multiplication

“Be fruitful, and multiply,” (Genesis 1:28 KJV)

God is a multiplier.

There’s a synergy that occurs when man and his Maker connect that blows the lid on expected metrics. Add infinity to any equation and all things become possible!

While we may scratch around trying to add to our lives, God awaits our devoted attention so He can accomplish something far more remarkable.

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23 KJV)

A deep abiding connection to God is the Source of all we make. He is the Inspirer, breathing brilliance into the hearts and minds of His people.

Like Isaac we can receive supernatural abundance even in times of drought and famine:

“And there was a famine in the land … And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of … Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.” (Genesis 26:1-2;12 KJV)

Dwell and serve and sow in the place God has planted you, and allow Him to bring the increase you seek. This is not always easy, and it sometimes will take all of your faith and inner resource to resist running down to Egypt and doing things the world’s way.

Servitude to a system that’s designed to create slaves is not a great strategy.

“… in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15 KJV)

God wants to do something far beyond anything we can do in our own power. Supernatural gifts, insights, and direction are the norm in the streets of heaven, and we are Kingdom people bringing that Kingdom to the earth.

3. Dust and Dignity

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

Our weak frame is dignified by the life and breath of God working in us.

The Christian creative life is one of deep humility on one hand, and boundless brilliance on the other.

We know that we are dust, dignified by the humility of God’s Spirit choosing to dwell within us. This outer frame is a temporary residence, but one that has been sanctified for magnificence by the King of Universe.

It’s a mystery and a balance only God can bring to being.

You are the temple of the Holy Ghost!

The members of your body are the creative weapons He wields to bring His brilliance to the world, and show forth His good, perfect and acceptable will in the realms of humanity.

There is so much we could say about the wonder of the human body, but for now let’s just focus on its proper use as an instrument of worship:

“I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]” (Romans 12:1–2 AMP)

“use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” (Romans 6:13 NLT)

Here’s a great place to start your worship service.

A good healthy breakfast after adequate sleep washed down with water. Self care is not a sacrifice or selfishness – it is your reasonable service to ensure that your body will serve the purposes of God for many years to come.

4. God-Breathed Brilliance

“God … breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

A lifeless husk became a vibrant living being when filled with the breath of Heaven.

Soul dry living is the desert norm for many today, traipsing heavy-footed seeking rest in the parched valleys of a world that has forsaken the living waters.

God has a better way. A way infused with His breath. It is not the way of the world:

“Look at that man, bloated by self-importance— full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive.” (Habakkuk 2:4 MESSAGE)

The creative life of Christ is one of utter dependence on the inbreathing of the Holy Ghost, and as such is one of yielding not striving. Learning the rested ways of faith is counterintuitive and countercultural, but cannot be beaten.

Loyal and steady believing is the way of the Master and the pathway to becoming fully alive!

5. Flourish Where You Are Planted

“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” (Genesis 2:8 KJV)

God plants us where we will flourish.

For some, this may be the cities, for others some backwater village or even a hidden life dedicated to the purposes of prayer.

The idea that the grass is greener on the other side is a lie that prevails in many lives.

Flourish where you are planted. Put down your roots to recognize God in your own garden of influence rather than pining for what others have or where they have been planted.

I am planted to encourage Christian creatives to take hold of God in prayer and production, bring their best to the world.

What is your sphere of influence? What garden has he planted you in?

Knowing what you are formed for will kill the FOMO (fear of missing out) and allow you to flourish in the call of God – the garden of God’s making!

There’s a tendency to think that everything depends on us. That the production and fruitfulness of our lives lean entirely on our efforts. I believe that there is a better way, a more peaceful way, to live and contribute to others.

The way of Jesus is not burdensome. His creative nature is not something we have to grasp for, earn, or deserve.

Here are 5 more thoughts from the creation about creativity and rest:

1. Seedtime and harvest

“… the seed was in itself” (Genesis 1:12 KJV)

God placed seeds inside everything living capable of production. The created world was not searching for something outside itself to fulfil its nature and destiny.

Nor are you!

You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works He has already prepared for you to walk in. The seed of your greatness and contribution to the world, your fruit, is already in you.

The beauty of the creative life is in the discovery of who you already are, and the beauty God has planted within you. It may be a small seed in the first instance, but tended and nourished it will grow and reach out branches.

In a push-button world, the idea of patiently tending a seed until it is grown and flourishing may seem unpopular, but the way of faith is not about speed.

“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15 KJV)

2. Behold, I have given

“And God said, Behold, I have given … ” (Genesis 1:29 KJV)

God gives first. He is the first instance in every endeavour. The beauty is that this releases us from the need to be original. Nothing we make is not already thought of. Jesus has been there first and we follow.

What do I mean by this? The creative life is one where we tap the genius of heaven. He is for you, with you, and wants to create through you. There is joy in discovery. What you bring to the world will be as much a delight and surprise to you as to others.

I like to think of the creative life as the gradual unveiling of God’s glory, His outshining, in a person’s life.

God has given abundantly.

Because of that we can now give generously!

3. Rest Upon Completion

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” (Genesis 2:1–2 KJV)

There’s great delight in completion. You are a finisher, just like your Father!

And when you finish, stop to appreciate!

There’s a crowning of your work with thanksgiving and gratitude that adds a whole new dimension to the creative process. The creative cycle is one of flow from and to God in constant communion. Celebration and appreciation complete the cycle and allow the clouds to form again ready to rain new ideas and blessings on the world through your hand.

It is easy to run from one thing to the next, but instead of a hasty sprint take time to slow.

Pause to appreciate and recognise the Source of your power and production. Don’t be in such a hurry to run to the next thing on the list. Look how far you have come. Enjoy what you have made!

4. Rest Is Blessed

“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:3 KJV)

Two things are specifically blessed in these early chapters of Genesis.

People and a day.

God blessed a day; a day of rest.

Rest is blessed, and the people whom He blessed stepped directly into the blessing. There is a pace of grace that we are invited to enjoy. It is the starting point of every endeavour.

If we hear God and move according to His direction there will be rest and peace even in activity.

Mankind’s first experience of life with God was restful rejoicing in His rich provision!

There still remains a rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9 KJV) if only we will choose to believe him and step into it. From this blessed place of rest we then work.

5. Formation

“… the LORD God formed man” (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

Formation by the hand of God. God still forms men and women!

You are not a cookie-cutter copy of the next person in line. You are uniquely formed for purpose by a personal Hand. God is carefully shaping your life and preparing you for eternity.

The formation of our hearts begins when we stop fighting against God and recognise that He knows best what will make us into the people we need to be to walk fully in His grace.

Even the hard circumstances and testing can act as tools to cut away pride and self-reliance so we throw ourselves more fully upon the Provider.

There is a rest when we cease from our own works and trust God for the outcomes in life.

“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works…” (Hebrews 4:10 KJV)

This is not a passive thing, it is an active striving to enter the mystery of faith. God and man work together in close communion, one in which God does the heavy lifting!

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest …” (Hebrews 4:11 KJV)

Strive to enter, and once you are inside, don’t be in a hurry to return to the frantic pace of a self-obsessed world. There’s a greater, richer, contribution you will bring when you relinquish control and allow God to fill and flow through your willing frame.

It’s not easy to discover in a culture bent on speed and consumption, but it is possible.

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9 KJV)

It’s ready and waiting!

Continuing this series on slowing down, simplifying, and finding creative grace to produce without sweat, I offer you five more insights from the first chapter of Genesis.

Do feel free to post your own insights, thoughts, and responses in the comments. I’d love to hear your thinking around this subject…

1. After His Kind

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” (Genesis 1:11 KJV)

The plan of God is that all He created capable of reproduction produce after it’s kind.

To live a prosperous, peaceful life of gracious contribution, we cannot spend our efforts trying to be something or someone we are not.

If God made you to bear apples, bear the best apples you can produce. Don’t envy the orange tree person because their fruits are more colourful or juicy.

Tiresome pursuit of something unattainable, in this case, being someone God never designed you to be, is a deep-rooted discontent that many waste their lives chasing.

Instead of looking inwardly, spending efforts to discover who they themselves are, what ‘kind’ God created them to be, they look outward at the forest, envious of other trees, herbs, and grasses.

You are one of kind!

No one else can take your place, and if you don’t become unashamedly yourself, no one else can.

2. Seasons

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14 KJV)

Life is seasonal like the rhythms God put in motion when He made the worlds. Knowing what season you are in will help you navigate with grace and humility.

Some seasons are more strenuous than others, but when we yield to the hand of God shaping or sharpening our character through each one, we are well prepared for the next. Fighting against the season’s flow will tire you out. Finding grace and proper pace with God’s purpose in a season, even if strenuous, removes the friction that so often exhausts us through the process.

In every season, right down to moment by moment seasons, days, months, and years, there is something magnificent to discover in God. Being aware of His immediate presence, and His greater plans that span decades or more gives grace to our heart to walk in peaceful pace with Him in big and small.

Don’t be quick to judge His methods. He sees the end from the beginning, and what seems contrary right may well be the very circumstances He uses to form your future successes.

No rush or hurry is required if we trust in God’s provision for the season we are in.

Learn your lessons well, and be ready to let go graciously when one season comes to an end and a new one begins. Each has its own special riches to bestow.

3. Greater and Lesser Lights

“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16 KJV)

Greater lights. Lesser lights. And the stars also.

“And God set them … to give light upon the earth, … and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:17–18 KJV)

Comparison is not the way to peace!

Greater lights, lesser lights, stars also. Some big, some small, but all with the same glorious commission; to give light to the earth, and divide the light from the dark.

Shine your light unashamedly in the very best ways you know how. Don’t allow your sense of worth to be eclipsed by the sun of someone else’s genius.

God has commissioned you to fulfil His mandate and assignment, and it is good! You will not be judged on the light He commanded another to bring, He will require account only for your own stewardship of the gifts he chose to entrust into your keeping.

Don’t feel lesser. Don’t consider yourself greater. The sun does not shine with self-conscious rays, it simply fulfils its nature. The moon does not reflect with straining jealousy, it rejoices in the sky showing forth an unparalleled beauty.

Be who you are, and settle into your orbit around the purposes of God with wholehearted commitment.

4. Blessed

“And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” (Genesis 1:22 KJV)

Fruitfulness and multiplication flow from blessing.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and the things that the world is seeking by sweat will be added by grace to your account.

No greater love or beauty exists than the wonderful presence of God in our lives.

Don’t multiply your efforts and then ask for His blessing on your own makings.

Seek His blessing first, the blessing of divine counsel, wisdom from His heart, and compassion for your fellow pilgrims, and from that place of grace and fullness go forth and multiply.

5. In His Image

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26 KJV)

God is not in hurry.

God is not nervous, anxious, fearful, or insecure.

God is creative, playful, holy, and whole in Himself. Fully immersed in His perfect plans for humanity, He pours Himself out in endless abundance for the betterment of His creation.

You are like your Maker.

In His image. After His likeness.

A miracle made to make!

Just as He brought forth wonders from His heart so will you. It’s your nature to produce.

The invisible is made visible through your intervention.

You are a conduit, and through the faith alive in your heart, hopes become substance and are shared with the world.

Such is your DNA. Creative fruitfulness is your default. Greatness and beauty flow from your inner man with effortless intention, because you live from who you are – a child of the great Creator Himself!

I have no monumental story to tell.

No brag to share about my previous breakneck life of speed and greed.

No dramatic turnaround that transformed a speedaholic into an unhurried worshipper.

I’m just a believer with a deep desire to know God, who realized that fast doesn’t work.

Here are some slow thoughts about an unhurried life of worship from the first verses of Genesis…

1.

“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1)

Everything begins and ends with God. He comprehends all things in Himself, and nothing is outside His knowledge or control. Time has a beginning and an end. God does not.

Unhurried life sits securely in this reality. When you step into the place of prayer and sense His presence you step outside of time.

Prayer is where we meet with the One who inhabits eternity, and where we get a perspective less pressured by the passing moments slipping fast through our fingers.

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15 KJV)

2.

“In the beginning God…”

God created. We know that. But the who came before the do. Before any action, before any other thing, He is.

The same is true for you. Who before do.

You are not measured by your production or usefulness, and the impactful contribution you are called to bring to the world will flow from who you are on the inside. Issues of life flow from the heart, and the more connected you become to your accepted and loved identity in Christ the more freely that wonderful value you produce will flow out and change lives.

3.

“In the beginning God created” (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

God’s first introduction to us is as Creator. He is a Maker and wonderfully inventive in every way. A creative and productive life is natural and normal for the children of God. It is not something you have to work up or strain to become. You are creative, made in the beautiful image and likeness of the One who created you.

Living a creatively fruitful life is the overflow of the connection you have with God.

A tree doesn’t strain to produce the fruit it was designed to bless the world with and nor should we. Let you heart root deep into God’s faithfulness and His personality and vibrant, untamed wonder will flow from your heart in most surprising ways.

4.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 KJV)

In a society hell-bent on faster, bigger, cheaper, the idea that something is not shiny and slick is frowned upon.

Sometimes life feels less than slick. Without form and void is a dark place to be if you don’t remember that God moves even when the lights are out.

Don’t be in a hurry to run from searching seasons where your life feels without form.

Hidden inside what looks like formless clay to an untrained eye, the Sculptor sees a masterpiece.

You are His masterpiece, and even through dark seasons of soul searching the Holy Spirit is moving.

5.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 KJV)

The word used for Spirt here in the first verses of our epic adventure into the mind and heart of God is ‘ruah’ translated in some instances as ‘breath.’ The breath of God moved on the face of the waters. He breathes upon our darkness!

God’s breath is life-giving and creative by nature.

Maybe if we take His lead and breathe more we would see better results than our breathless striving.

Taking a breath to remember that God is with you, and in you, will keep you stayed on the truth that nothing is impossible. Even in the midst of seeming chaos the Spirit is breathing.

So can you. Slow down. Take a breath. And remember.

6.

“And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5 KJV)

There was a rhythm to Papa’s creative work.

There is no sense of rush in the beautiful account we have of His handiwork.

Evening, morning. The first day.

Evening, morning. The second day.

He then adds a second beat the rhythm.

“… and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:12 KJV)

Evening, morning. The third day.

“and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:18 KJV)

Right the way through to a crowning chorus of creations song:

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31 KJV)

An unhurried rhythm of creation, followed by appreciation.

Selah.

So I’m sat in local pub here in the small village of Hurst where I live writing a book about commitment to God’s purpose and prayer. In walk some shiny looking individuals, young and vibrant, and order bottles of wine and a slap up lunch. Friends soon spontaneously join them and the mirth ensues.

So does that creeping discontent and disconnect from the rich life I’m learning to live in Christ and the siren call back down to earth. Ballast bags of envy have a horrible habit of dragging us along the ground looking at the seeming prosperity others enjoy and the ease with which they conduct their existence.

It’s odd and can catch us unawares.

Why climb in the confessional like this?

Because jealously is the stock in trade of the world we now inhabit.

Not only are the bright-and-brilliant paraded as the mark to shoot for, but the grim rubbing of normal noses in their apparent mediocrity is also skilfully leveraged to motivate thoughts and actions we would never otherwise consider.

Our Father laid out only ten explicit commandments worthy of etching in stone, and one of them slammed this tendency head-on!

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17 NKJV)

Dude? Why would I want another donkey? I have so many donkey’s piled up in my own life already. So many blessings to thank God for it’s almost criminal when contrasted to the terrors some on the earth are facing every day.

What is it about human nature that tends so heavily to discontent and fails to appreciate the real riches that no money can buy?

I’m learning to be thankful for the Holy Ghost spotlight shining on the cracks in my character and pulling the pus to the surface. Sounds horrible I know, and quite honestly it is. But, as my mum so sagely says, “better out than in.”

Pondering this quizzical comparison game I find myself caught in sometimes I brought the above story to the table of prayer, looking for a remedy.

The picture I saw was of a man, a glass man being filled with water. The sediment that had settled in his stationary life was being pushed up and out the fuller he became.

“My love casts out fear,” explained the Holy Ghost.

The answer is not to perform an internal witch-hunt for all of those less than sanctified areas that drag our buoyant spirits down, it is to be filled to overflowing with the presence of the real treasure – God’s presence.

How beautiful to rise above the froth, bubble, and swirling confusions of the lower life, and sit to get perspective in the presence of the one who is high and lifted up. Worship lifts us above the fray and clears our vision to see.

One of my favorite Psalms is Asaph’s wonderfully vulnerable petition in Psalm 73:

“Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” (Psalm 73:1–20 KJV)

In no way do I want to imply that prosperity is for the wicked alone. God prospers His people and takes great delight in doing so. But the narrow eyes of envy can afflict even those who are part of the few percenters on the planet who have an over abundance. I dare that includes both the one writing this, and most likely the one reading.

The point I want to make is this. Just one word…

“Until.”

Until I went into the sanctuary.

How profound these words.

Perspectives change in the sanctuary. Eye salve is copiously dispensed in the secret place.

Instead of looking with envious eyes craving another ass to add to our crowded stable, we get caught by the beauty of the King.

“Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.” (Isaiah 33:17 KJV)

There is land very close, stuffed and pushed to our eyes and ears begging our attention. A land so immediate, full of empty glamour and passing riches.

And there is a land very far off, flowing with milk and honey, whose trees heal the nations, and whose sidewalks are paved with finest gold.

All of the false glamour of this present age cannot shake a stick at the riches that Christ Jesus so freely offers. But we need to make regular visits to the sanctuary to keep the pipes clean and our eyes on eternity.

You can keep your donkey.

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As an aside, one of the first children’s books I wrote and published tackled the green-eyed monster. If you want a sweet read with your kids grab a copy on Amazon