I want to be a more creative person.

That’s one of the goals that I have for myself in this new year. It still sounds a bit strange to me to say it because I have never thought of myself as someone who had any potential in the “creative” arena.

Let me explain.

Art was never my favorite subject as child.
I was fascinated by art. I always wanted to be able to draw and to create with my hands, but I was never very good. As a result, I thought creativity was just something that was missing from my DNA.

It took me several years into my work as a pastor to realize that creativity was actually a really essential part of what I do. I had never thought of the practice of preparing and delivering messages and teachings on a regular basis as an “art form,” but in more recent years that is precisely how I have begun to understand that work.

This has been a really key learning for me because it has helped me to see that the same forces that inhibit great art and restrain creativity are also present in my art as well.

In his book, “Untitled,” Blaine Hogan writes,

It is the artist’s job to accept that the work will be very, very hard; to understand the importance of deep reflection, and to fight the forces of fear and resistance, all in the name of filling blank pages and creating beauty.

He continues later on in the book saying,

I know a lot of people with a lot of really great ideas but only a few who actually end up making things… Talent is rarely the issue, if you’re wondering. No, the real issue is whether or not we’re willing to risk our reputations to do the painful work work required to create great things.

I have long thought of my own personal creativity to be the result of great inspiration.
I thought I needed to be in the right environment.
[You might picture a nice lakeside cottage early in the morning while the fog is still rolling off the water and I'm sipping a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.]

Don’t get me wrong. I still trust that much of what I do continues to be guided by the “inspiration” of the Holy Spirit.
I strongly believe that any work that God does through us is dependent on the work God is doing in us.

But I am beginning to understand that my own commitment to doing the work, putting in some long and hard hours, and investing my mental energy in the sometimes arduous creative process is critical to producing anything that might be meaningful, fresh and, hopefully, inspired.

And so this goal to become a more creative person is really about one thing in my estimation.
It’s about being more courageous, facing my fears, and fighting back against the resistance that I sometimes feel.
It’s doing something every single day that is hard because each time I do it my courage grows a little bit more.

For me, that means that one of the “measurables” of growth in this area is to sit down to write something every single day. That will probably lead to some more frequent content here on the blog. More than that, I hope it translates into a greater sense of confidence in myself to do the hard work, and in turn, be a more creative person.

This is the first area of my life where I want to grow in 2012.

This post is from a series written in January 2012. To view other posts in this series, click below. 
A. Setting Goals for the New Year
B. Setting Goals for 2012 pt. I

Today is the second day of a new year.

2011 has taken a back seat to 365 days of new possibilities… Actually, 364.
It is, after all, the second day of the new year.

Since college I have given some thought to setting some goals for myself when the calendar turns from one year to the next. I find the first few days of January to be energizing and filled with hope. It’s a time to start over… to regroup… to be intentional about preparing for what may lie ahead.

For me I have always thought of a new year as a time to challenge myself, to push my boundaries a bit, and consider what my next steps should be to in order to keep growing.

Because at the end of 2012, I want to be able to say, “I’m different now…”
And I want that realization to be an affirmation of hard work and discipline, not a recognition of missed opportunities or a sign of regressing from past progress.

I think growth is the foundation of a life with Christ. The pursuit of it should always be at the top of our priorities. In many ways I believe that change is inevitable, but whether or not that change will represent growth or regression is up to us.

This year I’m seeking to be intentional about growth in four areas of my life.

Creativity
Leadership
Physical Health
Relational Intimacy

I know the last one sounds strange. I promise to explain. In fact, I’m going to write about each of these areas in the next few days.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear how you are taking stock of where you are right now as a new year begins, and in what areas of your life you feel God calling you to grow.

Here’s some questions to stir that reflection.

• How are you different today than you were 365 days ago?
• Has the change in your life been a step forward or a step back?
• What did you intentionally do this year that led to positive change in your life?
• What could you have done differently to steer clear of any negative change you experienced?
• What’s one thing you need to keep doing to maintain positive momentum?
• What’s one thing you need to stop doing to remove any barriers to future growth?
• In what areas of your life do you need to be intentional about growth in 2012?

Every few months I get a nice break from writing our GPS guide. Our Senior Pastor will usually take a message series and give me a few weeks to recharge which I greatly appreciate.

Today is my first day back after one of those extended rests. I’m working on GPS for the week of Thanksgiving.

Writing this daily devotion guide is one of the most unique and special things I’ve been able to do as a pastor. In a way, I feel like I get the chance to share some in some powerful moments because I know these words will be read by individuals as they spend a few moments alone with God. With each day, I hope that the words I offer invite people to open up and hear a special word of hope and encouragement from God for that particular day.

As I put together five days of reading on the subject of “thanksgiving,” I can’t help but feel a tremendous sense of gratitude today for the opportunity to work on a resource like GPS.

It’s good to be writing again.

Here is the prayer that we used to end this past weekend’s message. To listen to the sermon online, please click here or visit or www.firstmethodistmansfield.tv

Wesley Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Real Sabbath, the kind that empties and fills us, depends on complete confidence and trust. And confidence and trust like that are rooted in a deep conviction that God is good and God is sovereign.

There’s no rest for those who don’t believe that. If God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called to. His purposes, you can relax. If he doesn’t, start worrying. If God can take any mess, any mishap, any wreckage, any anything, and choreograph beauty and meaning from it, then you can take a day off. If he can’t, get busy. Either God’s always at work, watching the city, building the house, or you need to try harder.

The Rest of God, by Mark Buchanan