Ask, Seek, and Knock
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ”
Responding to the creative call is threatening business. We treat our lives thoughtfully and respect God’s call enough to know that our time is valuable. To waste the sacred resource of time is inappropriate. Whether we believe our creativity is essential and meaningful, or if it just a waste of the precious commodity of time; the mistake we make is putting a value on our imagination. If our creativity is deemed worthy, then it becomes worth the time committed. If our creativity is deemed unworthy, then it is wasted. Who makes the determination? Only God can deem our creative offer worthy or unworthy.
God wants to bring our creativity to life. It is our task to seek and God’s mission to help us find. Julia Cameron helps us find understanding by quoting Sophocles, “Look and you will find it-what is unsought will go undetected.” Sophocles' words were so similar to those of Jesus but shared over 400 years earlier. Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Our creativity transforms when we realize God is knocking, and we answer the door through our creativity.
God shuts the door and with it our creativity when we try to create without Divine sanction. Even after we recognize the joy of working in tandem with God, our sinfulness causes us to branch out on our own. Cameron states, “The desire to be worldly, sophisticated, and smart often blocks our flow.” The larger world often looks down on a belief in God. Giving God the honor requires sharing where we receive our creativity and that sometimes leaves us open to ridicule in the world around us. It often appears easier to take all the credit for ourselves and deny the world the opportunity to know the true creative sustainer. When God stops receiving the credit due, the creativity within leaves us.
Today, make a prayerful commitment honoring your creativity. Affirm it is from God and remain thankful for the ongoing creative renewal. Tell God you trust in Divine care and will continually seek, knowing we will find. Then knock each day. Knock each time you pick up that pencil, computer, paintbrush, or musical instrument. When you do, trust God to open the door wide and renew your creative spirit. Finally, celebrate this fantastic, creative gift by thanking God for all the creative time you’ve experienced in the past, right now, and will continue to find in the future. Then, creativity will not have an expiration date!
