Featured Article for the month of April 2009

"Creativity is one of the Greatest attributes of God given to man,
but is not fully understood and utilized by him"
by Rev. Dr. John Williams

Our God, the creator of the universe, who created the planet earth and the atmosphere surrounding it, in which there is the sun and the moon to give adequate light and heat during the day and the night. Out of all the things God has created on the planet earth, what he created on the sixth day which was man, in his own image and likeness, to live on this planet and to exercise dominion over it, is the very reason for the creation of the earth itself. It is important to note that God created man in his own image and after His likeness, which means that man was endowed with the attributes of God, including the capacity to love and be loved, the brain power to think, imagine to make decisions, and to do whatever he pleases, exercising his free will.

In this article, it is the intent of the writer, to particularly deal with the extraordinary ability of God given to man, which is the ability to think, imagine, design and even create new things as well as making decisions to solve any problem or to develop anything creatively to meet his needs. This particular attribute is referred to in the bible as ‘Creativity’ which is the most important and dominant characteristic of God, and with this capability God has even given man the capacity to love which describes the very nature of God. As the bible says, God is love and love is of God.

Putting it in a practical way for human beings to understand, particularly in the days in which we live, compared to the stone age, man tries to have all of his needs met, and tries to solve every problem through research and development, by finding a new gadget, machinery or technique to develop a product or a machinery to meet the need and to solve the problem he faces on the planet earth.

As we can see in the time and age in which we are living, coming up with a new product or service, almost in every day of our life, seems to be an ongoing and recurring phenomenon. In the media, newspaper and advertisements, we hear about the new products and services that are developed to meet some specific needs or problems faced in the world. The essential foundational principle in this process is what is called ‘creativity’ or an idea which man is capable of developing or coming up with, which is essentially the characteristic of God himself, who designed and created the whole universe and particularly, the planet earth with countless numbers of different kinds of living species in the plant kingdom and creatures of various sizes, attributes and characteristics in the animal kingdom. From microscopic amoeba, bacteria and other microscopic organisms, up to monstrous animals in the forest like elephants, rhinos and giraffes to gigantic creatures in the sea like whales, crocodiles, etc.

It is interesting to note that every living creature either in the plant or animal kingdom is using the God instincts and abilities for survival to find their prey and to develop self defending mechanisms in the changing environment.

Every thing that has been said so far in this article, is centered around, one characteristic called ‘Creativity’ or the ability to design and to create in a particular fashion, and for a particular purpose. As we know, every thing that is either something material or a living creature, plays a specific and significant role in the helping the entire universe to exist, and to function in a particular way, not only to sustain the existence and perpetuation of every living thing or other objects, and things that provide an environment that is conducive for their existence in a meaningful way.

In this context, it is important to note, that man created in the image and likeness of God, has the same attribute which is the most important and interesting characteristic of all, and with this nature of God himself, man who is the highest form of creation, created in the very image and likeness of God, can, if he so believes and recognizes this fact, find an answer or solution to every problem that he might face on planet earth or even to enhance his life with all ramifications and complexities in it, can using his innate, inborn and inherent creativity implanted in him, come up with an idea to solve any problem or to meet any need whatsoever, in this life on planet earth, and also increase his standard of living, not only to protect himself from all possible dangers but also to achieve his goals, aspirations and dreams!

In other words, the most essential point that this article is trying to communicate to the world at large is, that man who has been created in the image and likeness of God, is capable of finding a solution for any problem whatsoever that he may confront, through the process of research, designing, manufacturing etc, which are the most commonly used words by man, which are comparable or equivalent to the word ‘creation’ used in the Bible with reference to God.

Putting it in a simple and practical way, any normal human being has the ability to find creatively a solution for every problem that he may face in his normal life,20and this extraordinary ability that man has been endowed with, is creativity, and this should be recognized by him and used to the maximum extent. This innate characteristic of creativity, ideation or problem solving skill, is the most intrinsic, innovative and problem solving ability or attribute, and is the most important characteristic of God himself. Therefore, this should not be overlooked, neglected or ignored or taken lightly. Everyone can, and have to find the solution for every problem that they face, and get everything that they need, to live the kind of life that you want to live, by using this creative ability that is in us, as in God, unless God himself supernaturally intervenes and stops, for his own sovereign will to be accomplished, when we should submit to His will implicitly!
                                                                     -The End-