Purpose Study Bible 358: Create a Solution

When they began to rebuild the wall, the people encountered all kinds of problems and opposition. This required Nehemiah and the leaders to be creative in their problem-solving:

So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water (Nehemiah 4:21-23).

You also encounter challenges and obstacles every day, and you must tap into your creativity if you're going to move forward and make progress. Your claim that you're not creative because you don't paint, compose music, or write poetry isn't quite accurate, for your creativity manifests itself every day in other ways. Creativity isn't limited to creating works of art. Sometimes creativity means creating solutions to problems that stand between you and your goal.

Where have you been dismissing or failing to recognize your God-given creativity in day-to-day life? Do you see that the way you use your time, solve problems, and plan your day or your future are expressions of creativity? If you have been creative without even realizing it, how much more creative could you be if you acknowledged and developed that ability?

Nehemiah had to be creative not just in how he planned his work, but also in how he continued his work when problems arose. He created solutions that allowed the work to continue. Armed with this understanding, you can now rightfully and confidently claim, “I am a creative person.” Then start looking for new ways to use that creativity to solve the problems standing between you and your purpose.