Increasingly I am hearing the word creative, or creativity. I am told that I need to be creative; to think creatively, lead creatively. Now I am beginning to suspect that there is a disconnect. When some people think of being creative they think of coming up with new ideas or concepts. I am now understanding that thinking of new ideas is being imaginative, but not necessarily being creative.
When God “Created” in Genesis he didn’t simply think of something new, he brought something new into existence that wasn’t there before. It is one thing to use your imagination and think of something new, but quite a different thing to make something new happen. When all is said and done, a lot more is said than done.
Through the years, I have been in numerous so called creative meetings that did not result in anything but a lot of ideas of what might be done. A truly creative person is one who moves from idea to implementation.
Eugene Peterson’s comments on 2 Thessalonians 1:11 by saying “I pray that God will make you fit for what He’s called you to be; pray he fills your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy that it all amounts to something.” Good ideas equal imagination, but acts of faith equal creativity. Steven Furtick says, “An idea without implementation is not creativity but imagination.”
So, the next time you are asked to be a part of a “Creative Meeting” make sure it results in action, not just ideas that never leave the room or the launching pad.
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