June 23 Creative Expressions

To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. ~Proverbs 16:1

Blessed is the one who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You have planned for us no one can recount to You. Were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. ~Psalm 40:4-5

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and will listen to Me. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” ~Jeremiah 29:11-13

Creativity is a gift from the Lord. It would only make sense that the Master Creator would pass on His gift, of enjoying being creative, to His children. Our ways of expressing that gift are all different. Some are more drawn to the visual arts while others express themselves better musically. Some are more into three dimensional creations, such as buildings or sculpture, while still others enjoy writing. Others enjoy creating in the kitchen. Some are organizers and entrepreneurs, good motivators that can bring others on board to bring a creation to reality.

Whatever the creative bent each of us may have, it begins with a thought and a plan. “To man belongs the plans of the heart.” I’ve been there. I get an idea and I just start bursting with energy to bring my idea to reality. But sometimes, my thoughts are impulsive, and I run with the idea before thinking it through, or talking to others, or waiting upon the Lord. “From the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” That means the sisters, Wisdom and Prudence, definitely want to weigh in on our wild ideas!

It’s hard not to be excited about new ideas. We want everyone to share the excitement that we ourselves feel. We want our plans to work out, and we don’t want to lose momentum. It’s hard to be patient and take the time to work out all of the details. The window of opportunity could close! And then, what?

Financial experts such as Dave Ramsey and Rob West, recommend against impulse buying in this way. When in your shopping you come across something you really want, but purchasing it would mess up your budget, pray about it for a month. If you still think you need it and it’s still a good deal, hopefully by then, you will have also figured out how you can afford it and plan accordingly. You will have also spent a month seeking the Lord’s wisdom on the matter.

It is good when we can apply similar principles to our creative plans. I don’t mean that we should wait a month, but talking to others, making a plan of attack, and especially prayer, are certainly wise steps to consider as we move forward.

Some things may not really matter. Should we paint the kitchen cream or blue? Probably, as long as the members of the household are in agreement, that’s as far as the planning needs to go, unless price and brand are also important matters to discuss. Most plans do best when we actively engage others and their wisdom in the process.

Of course, the more methodical among us, who enjoy being slow and deliberate, might fall back on the old motto: “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!” The intent there is to get the logical mind to work on the logistics and resources available to ensure a low risk of failure. Well, that may be so, but why does Solomon say that “The plans of man belong to the heart,” rather than to the mind? Our creativity is another way of outwardly expressing our inner self. The careful thinker is trying to be sure that when he does share it is most likely to be welcome. But overthinking can also dampen creativity, especially when the over thinker is responding to some else’s creativity!

This can be a sensitive and difficult to navigate aspect of relationships. Our creativity is another way of outwardly expressing our inner self. We had mentioned a few days ago how, sometimes, we refrain from speaking because it will reveal our inner thoughts and make us feel vulnerable. Our creativity is another way of revealing our inner self. We would prefer that it be accepted, and perhaps even welcome as it is, unchecked by criticism or disapproval, or too many reasons why it won’t work or shouldn’t be tried. Our creativity gets to the heart of the matter of who we are and the message that we want to leave to the world. It’s hard to be vulnerable with that. And that is why sometimes we don’t listen to advice

Have you ever thought of God’s plans for you in this way? His plans for us are the expression of His heart. That’s why it is so important to check with Him about our plans. We may have a plan in our heart, but if it goes against His plan for us, it could break His heart because we aren’t demonstrating complete trust in Him to know what is best for us. “Blessed is the one who makes the Lord his trust.” When we check our plans with Him, we are living proof that we believe that.

God the loving Father’s “reply of the tongue” to all our plans is: “I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You have planned for us no one can recount to You; Were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”

Sometimes we are so busy with our own thoughts and plans that we are not even aware that God may have something even better. We can have plans. But it is best when we patiently wait for the reply that will guide us best.

Prayer: Oh Father, thank You for the gift of creativity through which You inspire me to add blessings to the world in which I live. Help me hear Your voice. I do want to listen well for Your plans, to make sure mine match Yours. And thank you most of all Lord for Your amazing plan of redemption! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: The Love of God