The Creativity in Ecclesiastes

I am currently reading through the book of Ecclesiastes in my morning time routine. Ecclesiastes is quite possibly my favorite book in the Bible; it rates right up there with some of my favorites like I Peter, Psalms, and a few others. As an author and creative, Ecclesiastes resonates with me on that artistic and inspirational level and the creative side of me.

There are a few verses in chapter eleven that I love that are both an inspiration and a challenge to me. The first one is verse 4.

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never plant.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT

Time to Go Forward

When you step out to do whatever it is God has for you, it takes faith. It’s the kind of faith that never really goes away. You have to keep stepping out in faith. You keep taking the next step and the next. If you worry about the what-if’s, you won’t get anywhere. There’s a time to plan and prepare and pray; and then the time comes when you have to simply go do. It may not be perfect, but it’s time to move.

There’s a saying that says, “If you wait for all green lights, you’ll never get anywhere in life.” There comes a point and time where you have to just go.

The Mystery of God’s Activity

A few verses later, the author of Ecclesiastes writes these words:

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

Ecclesiastes 11:5,6 NLT

I love the comparison the author gives here. There is so much mystery to a baby being born that we can’t possibly understand the intricacies of it. So it is the same way with God. We can’t possibly know and understand all that he is doing and where and how he is working.

Doing our Creative Part

Then my favorite part comes in verse six. Since we can’t possibly know how God is working, we have to work hard to do our creative part. We must work hard and diversify our work because we don’t know where God is going to bless. Start different ministries, tap into different sources, use your creative ability to create different products, meet more people, and use the abilities God has given you to do the work he’s called you to. We do all this, not knowing which part he is going to bless, or which part will be fruitful.

That’s okay. That’s not our part to know. It’s our part to simply be creative and do the work he’s called us to do to the best of our ability. Then, we watch as God blesses. And if God works in your life in the way he’s worked in mine, it’s never where you think the blessing will come from.

Use Your Creativity

Wherever you’re at today, whatever God has called you to do…don’t give up. It may seem like it’s not worth it. The days are long; the work is hard, and there doesn’t seem to be any reward. Let me encourage you with this: You don’t know where God’s working. You can’t possibly know what God is doing, but you can trust. Simply choose to keep at it; keep using the abilities he’s given you and the creativity he’s gifted you with. You can work hard in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, because you don’t know what or where God is going to bless. But he will bless, and you can trust in that.

For More Encouragement

A great book on this topic is Called to Create by Jordan Rayner. I loved this read. It’s free if you have KindleUnlimited!