In this increasingly virtual, artificial world, we need a way to see clearly what’s really going on.

Our world is moving more virtual every day. Most spend more time staring at screens than interacting with real people . . . or real life. Many reading this will even challenge what real means anymore. That’s how comfortable we’ve come to be with the artificial.

God invites us to create on a canvas of unlimited possibilities. 

But the world and the enemy (and often our own scarcity mindset) try to limit the canvas…and our creativity with God. 

During Easter week, a major network morning show ran a faith segment featuring representatives from three different religions.

Each week, I write the five daily readings for the next week. And every time, before I begin, I get hit with a wave of dread that I have nothing to say, that no one will read it, and that I should just punt for the week. Recycle past readings and call it good. 

Creative people love to create. But most don’t particularly like marketing what they’ve created. 

It doesn’t have to be that way.  

The question is never what can you create. You can make a lot of things. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. 

The far better question is: What can you not not create? 

It’s fine to have a lot of hobbies and casual interests—but you don’t want to spend your life forever dabbling in many areas without fully mastering any.

We live in an instant, entitled culture. Everyone wants fame and success…and they want it now. Yet few want to put in the time and energy necessary to facilitate that outcome.  

In a culture of rights and offense, it’s easy to forget that God doesn’t value the self-made person. He values humility.

When speaking with folks about how to pursue their creativity with God, they’ll often note, “I don’t want to be preachy.” 

I had to pause at the sign in front of a Mexican restaurant I recently visited. It said: 

 In a Hurry? Please Try Us When You’re Not. 

Artists are forerunners in their specific area of creative gifting—bringing something new into existence that changes the atmosphere for all who encounter it.  

I want to share with you this stunning statement from Yuval Noah Harai of the World Economic Forum. His mix of arrogance (regarding using technology to control others) and ignorance (of the reality and supremacy of God) is hard to fathom. 

There’s a growing concern among many that generative A.I. will soon be able to duplicate, if not exceed, their creativity. Is that possible? And if so, what happens then? 

What limits do you place on your creativity?  

It’s helpful to remember that you set those limits—not God.  

We all have our favorite place to be creative. And that’s good. The environment has an impact on our creativity.

In these high-tech times, I’ve recently rediscovered the simple joy of puzzles.  

At the end of each day, I spend a few minutes with a 500 or 1,000 piece puzzle. On any given evening, I may only find a few pieces that fit. That’s okay. I love the process of slowly bringing order to the chaos…one piece at a time. 

What God invites you into is beyond you, for you, and never up to you. 

God didn’t have to infuse us with an imagination. 

He’d already seen the devastation it caused when Adam and Eve used their imagination to imagine life without him.