<\/p>\n
\u201cMan unites himself with the world in the process of creation\u201d (Erich Fromm).<\/p>\n
WE\u2019RE BORN INTO A PRE-MADE WORLD, BUT WITHIN THE WORLD AS IT WAS WHEN WE GOT HERE, WE\u2019VE GOT THE ABILITY TO MAKE MANY NEW THINGS. Some might say we can\u2019t make anything truly new; we can only do new things with the raw materials already here. But what wonderful reorderings of the raw materials we\u2019re capable of! Our human creativity is a fascinating force.<\/p>\n
Because it\u2019s so powerful, our creative urge needs to be carefully managed. Among people seriously involved in creative work, we often hear it said (by artists, musicians, writers, etc.) that the only reason for their work is to allow the creators to \u201cexpress themselves.\u201d But in a world where we\u2019re all connected, that should never be the case. Not everything a person might \u201cexpress\u201d needs to see the light of day. Before I create anything, I need to ask myself honestly: will this expression of myself make a positive contribution to those around me, or will it pollute them? Will it help<\/em> or will it hurt<\/em>?<\/p>\n Our ability to create carries a serious stewardship, and in our present culture there may be some doubt whether we\u2019re handling that stewardship responsibly. \u201cWe live at a time when man believes himself fabulously capable of creation, but he does not know what to create\u201d (Jos\u00e9 Ortega y Gasset). As with all of God\u2019s gifts, creativity is meant to be used beneficially. We have it within us to give others hope, to bring refreshment, and to strengthen.<\/p>\n When we take a wise approach to the creative act, however, magnificent things can be accomplished. Our creativity can bring much-needed freshness to our own lives and those of others. Not only that, but we have it within our power to create things that will do good long after we\u2019re gone from this world. Few of us are going to be remembered by succeeding generations, but the question of what we\u2019re going to leave behind is still significant. We\u2019re at our best when we\u2019re using our creative powers to do lasting good. It doesn\u2019t matter whether any historian gives us credit; it only matters that we\u2019ve created something that will help others \u2014 now and perhaps even later!<\/p>\n \u201cCreativity is not merely the innocent spontaneity of our youth and childhood; it must also be married to the passion of the adult human being, which is a passion to live beyond one\u2019s death\u201d (Rollo May).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n