Rediscover the Creator in Youናሙና

Reflection:

When Jesus quotes these verses in Luke 4:18-19, He is declaring what His sacrifice and resurrection will enable for all who believe in Him. Relationship with Jesus is the best fuel for creativity, and today's devotional will detail why. The year of the Lord’s favor references the Promised Land, and the ultimate restoration that we experience in the upside-down Kingdom of God. In the midst of a world still wildly in need of healing and love, Jesus has paid the price for us to enter, by His Spirit, into the Kingdom of God, to be sons or daughters of a Good Father. Scripture further defines this Kingdom as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17-18). In Christ, we can experience comfort and joy in the midst of challenging and hard situations -- and this can be rocket fuel for the creativity that He has placed within us.

Unprocessed pain is a leading cause of becoming stuck in what we’re creating or losing hope or joy in the process. Researchers have found that most problems, like needing something to eat or wear, spark creative thought. However, our brains’ capacity to create actually decreases and can freeze when we are facing situations that feel uncontrollable or that risk misperception by or disconnection from others. Thus, this passage in Isaiah 61 speaks to the benefits for our creativity of a life lived with Christ. We need comfort in places of honesty, healing where we have been hurt, connection in places where we have felt alone, capacity to let go and forgive when what is wrong seems uncontrollable and overwhelming. As we deepen our faith via Scripture and develop our relationship with Jesus, we can begin to see God’s goodness in new ways and experience comfort that unlocks and frees our creative expression by enabling our brains to have more creative capacity and thought. This is a part of the Lord’s favor described earlier in the verse.

Neuroscientists have found that our brains will reject new ideas we don’t believe to be true. In applying this reality to helping children overcome barriers to learning, one of the most powerful ways to shift belief systems and thus open the brain to new ways of thinking is the presence of a consistent relationship who cares for and believes in the child. Those with whom we surround ourselves, and what they believe about us, can impact us far more than we realize. Spending time with Jesus in worship, prayer, Scripture reading, and in other ways cannot help but impact how we see ourselves, and thus our creativity. We can help those near us embrace new ways of Kingdom thinking and even draw near to God through consistent love and care rooted in a creative belief about them.

Activation:

Theologians and scientists agree: what we magnify (what we focus on) grows. Take five minutes today to focus on what brings you experiences of God’s beauty, comfort, and love. It could be listening to a favorite song, taking a few extra minutes to savor nature around you, or reaching out to a friend with a prayer or prayer request. Through each of these, you are creating an experience that helps shift your focus and retrain your brain around comfort, goodness, and hope.