First things first

Did you know that God doesn’t want you to be creative? Okay, okay wait a minute before you raise your eyebrows, sit back and read this post.

The first goal of every learning is to find out that which already exists. Take a Primary school science teacher for example. His first role is to explain to the pupil concepts that already exist in their environment. He teaches them about the different types of sands, elements of nature etc. and at this point, he doesn’t expect them to create or invent anything. It is proper understanding of these concepts, their boundaries of operation etc. that arms the pupils for a future of creativity and innovation.

The same is true for the believer. We must first learn about ourselves, the world around us, its elements and functions to effectively live the way God expects us to. Until we have sufficiently learnt the design of God in creation, we can never make the best of it. Thus, our first responsibility in the Kingdom isn’t to be creative, it is to learn that which already exists!

Having established this, we’ll begin our forage into the understanding of that which already exists as it applies to the believers.

Genesis 1 (NKJV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

29  And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

From the text above, we can understand three things:

1. There is a Creator and there is something He created.
2. The Creator determines the shape and structure of what was created.
3. The Creator determines how the creation functions.

In contemporary terms, “there is a manufacturer and only him determines the design and conditions for use of his product(s).” The design may not be appealing to you as a user but if you’ll maximize the product, then you have to follow the design of the manufacturer!

Take for instance Cars with engines at the rear. You may not like the concept of having engines at the rear of the car but if you’ll maintain the car, then you must lubricate the engine at the rear and not at the front.

Here are some other questions to consider;

1. Why must I use a USB type C charger for my mobile phone?
2.
Why must
I walk with my legs and not my hands?

The answer to the above questions is simple; the manufacturer (creator) designed it so.

God created the World (Heaven & Earth) and He designed the Laws that govern it. He is the manufacturer and He determines the design.

He created the living and non-living components of our world and He determined the principles by which they operate. Therefore, the earlier we agree with His design, the better our quality of life (physically, mentally etc.).

For example, the changes that come to our body at puberty and the feelings we get, they have been designed by God and the earlier we accept them, the earlier we’ll be able to put them in check. We have been designed by God the way He wants and the best we can do for ourselves is to accept the way God has made us, only then can we make progress towards mastering any desire or making real success.

The Creator (Manufacturer) determines the structure and function of a creation (product)!

Before you continue, make this confession?

God is my Creator and He determines the conditions for my optimal functioning.

If the above is true, it is therefore our primary assignment to find out what we are and how we are designed to function if we will live to the fullest.

Moreover, you’ll agree with me then that upon the acceptance of this common-sense truth, the next big thing is finding a trusted material that details what we are and how we’re designed to function, a sort of manual. This question leads us to another common-sense truth, “the best place to learn about a product is from the manufacturer’s guide.” We live in an age where many YouTubers upload reviews and tutorial guides on a product but you’ll agree with me that (all things equal), the most informative tutorial video you’ll find on any product is that made by its manufacturing company.

In the same light, the best place to learn about ourselves is from our source (God). We do not go to learn about ourselves from the news, motivational books etc. Instead, we go to His written word to us, the Holy Bible.

We can learn about ourselves from our Designer (Creator) God, through the His Word the Bible, through fellowship with Him and through God-inspired materials. We must note that whatever we learn about ourselves from external sources must never contradict what the Bible says concerning us. In the Word of God is where we can find out how God intends for us to function.

In our next post, we’ll build on this understanding to show why Prayer is non-negotiable.

REVIEW

Review today’s lesson. Pray and ask God to identify one or more statements or Scriptures He wants you to understand, learn or practice. Then respond to the following.

  • What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?

  • Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.

  • What does God want from YOU to do in response to today’s study?