Pastor’s Corner

Unleash creativity

By the time you read this, I will be in full blown candy overload. I will have fulfilled my fatherly duties by “checking” all the candy my sons received on Halloween. When I was a kid, I was allowed to decorate my front yard with all kinds of spooky and ghostly beings.

At the time, I thought it would rival any Hollywood set. Now I realize that it might not have been as good as I had remembered, but I give my parents a lot of credit for allowing me to do it.

I have been thinking a lot about that front yard and the nostalgia of my childhood. I appreciate that my parents allowed me to use my creativity to decorate for Halloween and for other holidays. I wonder what it would have been like if I was not given that opportunity. I love creativity and seeing other’s use theirs forthe glory of Christ.

One thing that I try to instill in the teen-agers I serve is to use their creativity. I don’t ever want to squash an idea just because I can’t see the vision from the teen-ager’s perspective. Creativity is one of the things that makes this world so great and it is a gift from God. A good gift that can bring glory to Him.

I believe that our churches are full of creative people of all ages, but I also believe that there are people who have been encouraged not to use that creativityover the years. That is such a shame because they are only exercising the gifts that God has given them.

Think about the person who first came up with an idea to use a flannel board to show Bible stories? How many of us can still visually see those stories on that board. Fast-forward 30 plus years and look at the technology that we now have and realize that the creativity that was used then, is now propelling a generation to use their creativity.

Creativity is a good thing and should be celebrated in our homes and churches.

We don’t need to fear people that want to use it for God’s glory or for those that just want to decorate a house. My parents and my church have allowed me that opportunity and I am grateful. We are entering a season where one could really get creative and also help others unleash their creativity. So, go unleash your creativity and encourage those around you to do the same.

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Editor’s note: Michael Smith is the youth pastor of First Baptist Church, Pea Ridge. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Church, Pages 2 on 11/02/2011