Beginning a New Year is always like starting a new chapter of our life. After reflecting on the past year, we can set our eyes ahead on the unknown path of faith that God has in store for us.
Let’s get creative with God in how to grow and mature in 2022!
Here are just a few ideas:
CREATIVELY LOVE GOD: Ask God to download ONE WORD or a FEW WORDS that will be a theme of what He wants you to pro-actively grow in this year or focus on. Ask God for creative ideas on how to walk this out practically each day to glorify, obey, and bless Him!
My word this year is JOY, so I am asking God for creative ideas and wisdom on how to increase my joy daily (thereby decreasing my anxiety and fears!). It is helping me to focus on one thing – and it is easy to remember!
CREATIVELY LOVE YOURSELF: How about tackling this challenge to embrace who He has created you to be and grow in your identity in Christ?
Write 100 things you LOVE about yourself over the course of the year during your times with God (Ok – yes this may seem hard but ask God for help because God wants you to have a healthy love for yourself and not reject yourself. If you get a brain freeze, ask God to tell you one of the things He loves about you!) and then ask God how that particular attribute reflects Him.
Journal your thoughts. God may meet you in powerful ways. You can write, draw, or put your thoughts into a poem! Be FREE to express.
CREATIVELY LOVE OTHERS: Whenever you remember to, make it a point when in a conversation with someone or praying with someone (as you feel led), silently ask the Lord how He sees that person and to give you a creative picture in your mind of an animal, plant, object, or something in nature that represents what He is showing you.
Word-pictures are memorable and touch the heart!
Ask the Lord to interpret the picture with words of affirmation, then share the positive, uplifting message with the person. Take a risk!
If a person doesn’t know God, you can simply share the gold you see in them using that picture symbolically. You can mention you asked God how He sees them, and you simply shared what came to mind.
For example, (true story) a 5-year-old girl asked God how He saw a church aunty who was in her 70s. She said to this aunty, “I prayed to God, and He showed me a picture of a pink flower! Aunty, you are so pretty like that pink flower!” The aunty then burst into tears as God was touching her heart as she shared, “Nobody in my entire life ever called me pretty!”
Let’s creativity LOVE GOD, LOVE OURSELVES, and LOVE OTHERS this year!
Sincerely,
Michele Okimura